Queensland Fishing Monthly - April 2015

CRACKING EASTER TIPS • BUMPER BOATING SECTION

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Fishing after the floods • Anchors away or anchors stay?

• Business profile: Brisbane Yamaha • Grab a crab and catch a craw • Vale Darryl Steele •

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Brent Poile caught this impressive 102kg striped marlin on a Black Magic Freedom Grand Slammer lure that was rigged ‘ready to troll’ with Black Magic 400lb Tough Trace and a Wasabi 10/0 double hook shackle rig.

Brent was fishing the continental shelf east of Narooma.

This 10kg mahi-mahi was landed by Jack Burling using a Black Magic 6/0 C Point® hook and Black Magic 30lb Tough Trace while fishing the Bunker group of islands.

Jessy Higgs landed this impressive diamond trevally using Black Magic 80lb Tough Trace and a Black Magic KL 7/0 hook while fishing off Fraser Island.

Kent Walker caught this wire netting cod fishing off Fraser Island using a Black Magic KL 7/0 hook and Black Magic 80lb Tough Trace.

A Black Magic 5/0 KL hook was used by Andrew Jefferies to take this huge grouper while fishing from Weipa. It took two people to lift it aboard and was released after this quick photo.

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April 2015, Vol. 29 No. 6

Contents NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES

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Richmond River 22 Iluka 24 SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Tweed Heads 26 Southern Gold Coast 28 Gold Coast Canals 30 Gold Coast 32 Jumpinpin 34 Southern Bay 36 Brisbane 38 Brisbane Offshore 40 Northern Bay 42 Caloundra 44 Noosa 46 CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Rainbow Beach 48 Hervey Bay 48 Fraser Coast 50 Bundaberg 53 Lake Monduran 54 Yeppoon 55 Mackay 56 Stanage Bay 57 TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Whitsundays 58 Ayr 60 Townsville 62 Lucinda 64 Hinchinbrook 65 Cairns 66 Port Douglas 67 Karumba 68 Cape York 68

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From the Editor’s Desk...

Like most anglers, my mind is always busy. Busy trying to crack the patterns of the species I’m fishing for.

What bait to use, what line, what rod and reel and where to catch them at certain times of the year.

Some species turn up at certain times of the year and disappear at others. Like me – do you wonder where they go?

That’s why I got into tagging fish.

Catching mulloway in my home river, I wondered why I could catch 20 in one month and none in others. Were other people catching these fish? Did they move? Was I catching the same fish over and over?

Tagging will eventually give me these answers, but in the process, I learned a lot about the role that tagging and data collection from recreational anglers plays and where this is headed.

Recreational anglers always tout that we’re the best

custodians of the resource – and we all know the love we have for our waterways – but we often lack tangible data to back up our claims. But I digress….

Catching a fish to eat is inarguable. Humans have been doing it for thousands of years. I don’t think that the act of fishing for food will be challenged – at least in the near future.

Catching a fish for sport opens the door a little for green-bent people who spend more time on Facebook than alongside a river. Their argument is invariably tied up with animal cruelty – even though it’s been well proven that fish lack the nociceptors to feel pain. Catch and release fishing is a great way to maximise the value of the resource in a sustainable manner.

So what if catch and release fishing became the way that we collected data on our fish stocks? What if anglers

themselves were the tools for keeping track of fisheries resources? Who thinks that in the days of ever-decreasing Fisheries Department budgets that there will be increased funding for ‘old fashioned’ style monitoring, with staff staking-out boat ramps?

It’s happening already through the various states’ tagging programs, but I caught up with Stefan Sawynok recently to discuss the trajectory of Info-Fish Australia – his employer who has collected data on over a million fish.

“Every fish that recreational anglers catch is important and can be used to paint a picture of a fish stock over time,” says Stefan, who, at the push of a couple of buttons, can create plots of size frequencies that show the movement of the stocks over time.

Amazingly, Info-Fish Australia can predict the quality of a fishery into the future, given enough data.

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Their “Crystal Bowl” project accurately and reconcilably lets the contestants in the Rockhampton Barra Bounty tournament (in Queensland) know how many fish they’ll catch!

Personally, I see the Citizen Science angle an unarguable and tangible.

When a greenie ear-bashes you about catch and release fishing being cruel, won’t you love the metaphoric cricket bat to beat them over the head with?

I know that I will.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Marcia, you’ll notice a few of the affected correspondents missing this month. We wish them all the best in their recovery efforts.

And at the time of print, Cyclone Nathan is hovering off the coast, menacingly. It’s a part of life in Queensland, but still, each time one of these storms crosses the coast we collectively cross our fingers and hope for the best.

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Anchors away or anchors stay?

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Anchors away or anchors stay?

CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

When fishing offshore areas, especially deep water, anglers are typically faced with the choice to either anchor or drift.

While this may seem like a small insignificant choice, it can in fact be quite crucial to your fishing success as different variables can lend themselves to each option.

Being able to recognise when it’s best to anchor or best to drift is an important fishing skill and hopefully the following feature will help build some knowledge and skill towards this.

One of the first and most obvious variables to consider when deciding whether to anchor or drift is the strength and movement of the tide. When fishing deep water and sometimes even shallow water, the big runs in tidal flow can make it very difficult for baits or lures to get to the bottom.

This difficulty in reaching the bottom is very much enhanced when anchored due to the boats fixed position.

When this is the case it is best to drift fish as the speed

of the boat will match the speed of the current flow, hence making it easier to get your lure orbait to the bottom. Knowing your tides will help, as you can plan to

fish spots that are optimally drift fished during the larger tides, while those that are best fished with less current flow and smaller tides can be fished on neap tides.

Anchoring up on a small structure such as this one is near impossible so drifting is often the only possibility.

KNOWING YOUR TURF Another variable to consider when choosing whether to anchor or drift is your knowledge of the ground you are fishing. If you are still testing the waters or wanting to do a bit of exploration then drifting will give you a much wider scope to do this. Drifting will allow you to cover a much wider area than sitting in the

Coral trout are suckers for a berley trail, a technique that is best achieved when anchored. same spot while anchored.

I’m one of those anglers who is always on the hunt for that new honey hole and I always invest a quarter of my fishing time looking for new ground. This can often mean just drifting wide of existing marks to see what else may be around, and you can often be pleasantly surprised at what you will find on the periphery, especially when chasing deep water reds.

Fish like saddle tail snapper and red emperor will move from isolated structure to isolated structure and often these small lumps or holes are several hundred metres apart. By drifting around these areas you can often turn one red hot spot into another very quickly, which can make it easier to find fish when they are a little more spread out. Drifting allows the angler to still explore and fish at the same time and it is often a case of just keeping one eye on the sounder and one on the rod tip.

WHAT’S BELOW The next factor to consider when choosing whether to anchor or drift is the type of structure you are fishing. Very isolated structures like small lumps, rise, gutters, wrecks or wonky holes can be extremely difficult to anchor on as the smallest margin of error can see baits or plastics out of the strike zone and off the

Top: Finding red emperor can be difficult at times but prolonged drifts help you cover more ground to find the fish holding areas. Middle: Drifting over this type of structure will only lead to an empty tackle box. Anchoring is the only option when the structure is this pronounced. Above: When jigging over bait balls for big Spanish mackerel drifting is the go, however when the fish are attracted to a shoal, anchoring up can also be a good option.

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structure. The other factor to consider is that the structure you are targeting is quite small and if you accidently hook up to it with your anchor you can potentially tear it apart, which can destroy the mark. I’ve lost count of the number of wrecks or isolated bommies torn apart over the years from anchors, which is a shame as they become quickly covered by sand and dissolve. This sees the mark completely gone for good.

In this situation it is better to drift as it can be easier to drift onto the mark, especially when the winds and tide are favourable.

Some of my favourite red emperor and golden snapper spots are the size of a small car but after two or three drifts it becomes quite easy to find the right drift pattern every time. The best way to do this is to take notice of which way the tide and wind is pushing and make an educated guess as to which way you will drift. Set yourself a good 60m from the area and mark a waypoint. From this point you can observe where you have drifted and make finer adjustments from the marks on your GPS. Sometimes it can take a number of drifts to get it right, but it sure beats pulling up an anchor in a 100ft of water.

The other benefit of drifting is that fish are not

always hanging around the main isolated structure, and if you manage to drop your anchor right on the spot then your lure or bait, while right on the spot, may not actually be where the fish are.

Sometimes bait may move off the main structure with the tide and the predatory target fish may follow.

Drifting allows you to cover a spot more comprehensively and caters for a wider range of conditions when it suits.

ANCHOR AWAY Alternatively if the structure is more condensed and predominant, then anchoring is a much better option. For example, drifting

Top Left: Big golden snapper like this one are best targeted on the drift as the structure they hold on are often very small and hard to anchor on.

Above Right: This double header of mulloway was the result of effective drifting, an approach that allowed new ground to be found, in this case it was a small sand gutter that was holding plenty of fish Left: When chasing pelagics the bait that they’re hunting will often be on the move, so drifting is the way to go, keeping you mobile and on the fish.

To page 12

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From page 11

over hard reef with very prickly and snaggy structure often leads to the angler catching the bottom. This can quickly see terminal tackle supplies disappear, so if you are getting snagged quite frequently then anchoring will be a better option.

Another time when anchoring is a must is when conditions are very still and the lack of wind and current does not allow the boat to move towards the desired structure at all. In this case it is best to park up and anchor straight on the spot.

The other advantage of anchoring on a spot is your ability to berley. Being able to sit in a spot and set a berley trail enables the opportunity for the fish to come to you.

This can be very effective on fish, such as coral trout and snapper, which are very inquisitive and will follow the commotion of a berley trail all the way to your hooks.

Target species can also be a factor when choosing whether to drift or anchor.

When chasing pelagic species like mackerel it is often best to drift when fishing over little structure or bait schools. This allows the angler to reposition over bait easily and deploy lures and jigs when ready.

Alternatively if you

are fishing over a shoal or reef where the structure is holding the fish, anchoring can be a very good option as you can keep baits or lures around the structure that is attracting fish.

When chasing demersal species like saddle tail snapper or red emperor it is often more desirable to drift as they often hold on smaller isolated structure, making them much harder to locate. However when located in good numbers on the drift it is a very good option to deploy the anchor if the current and conditions allow. In this case the angler can use a combination of both anchoring and drifting to achieve the desired result.

TACKLE CHOICE When choosing to drift or anchor it is also important to consider what type of gear to use. While all gear will be effective in an anchored situation, drifting is a much different story. When drifting in deep water, the constant movement of the boat will see your bait or plastic eventually begin to lift of the bottom.

This means the angler has to feed more line down to get back to the bottom.

With spin reels the angler needs to open the bail arm to feed out line while if you are using a lever drag overhead you only simply need to free spool the drag. While this may seem not much of a difference it can be a big

Left: Using your GPS is essential when trying to get your drift pattern right.

Top Right: Lever drag reels are the choice when drifting as they are much easier to use.

Above Right: Saddletail snapper are best found when drifting, but once you find them it’s a good idea to drop the anchor. This is when anchoring and drifting can work together.

difference when drift fishing all day, or even worst when you get hit on the drop and the bail arm is still open.

This is why lever drag reels are better suited for drifting conditions.

Both drifting and anchoring have their advantages and disadvantages, knowing when to apply them to different conditions and in different locations is what is important. So next time you are out in the boat and pull up to a fishing spot consider the ideas above as it may mean the difference between a good day fishing or a good day boating.

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Fishing after the flood HERVEY BAY

Mark Bargenquast

Cyclone Marcia has been and gone in Queensland, and there is nothing better to liven up the fishing than a flood. Short term it can be hard, but long term it’s a piscatorial bonanza!

Offshore pelagics like tuna, trevally, queenfish and mackerel really

benefit from these events.

Inshore can be wiped out for a few weeks, but offshore the predators will be there and biting their heads off.

As the fresh pushes out from the inshore floods, it forms a colour line that is generally quite visible, and along this line is a great starting point to locate predatory pelagics.

Baitfish such as garfish,

hardiheads, herring and flying fish pushed out by the fresh often concentrate along this edge, and in turn predators gather here as well.

A classic example was last week. I had been fishing all day off Roonies at the top end of Fraser Island. We had a pretty good day: 5 longtails, 6 mac tuna and 2 nice spotty mackerel landed and just as

This 52cm jack was caught the morning after 200mm of rain fell. He was sitting in a drain running 100% freshwater!

Big blue salmon are always around in dirty floodwaters and can really pull hard. This 98cm fish took a 120mm Daiwa X-Cross minnow.

many lost, all on plastics fished off 20lb Daiwa Blast spin outfits. I had decided to head offshore, as close in was in flood.

Mid afternoon we decided to head home, but just past Moon Point we ran into a very defined colour change with a full complement of birds working back and forth along it. Bingo!

Obviously the bait that had been flushed out of the estuaries and inshore areas

were concentrated along this edge, and so were the big guys! Sounding along with the side image sounder showed plenty of life and some really good shows of bigger fish holding under bait schools. The next few hours were constant hook ups on a variety of pelagics, but without the colour change I doubt these fish would have been there.

One thing to remember is that salt pushes under

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freshwater like a wedge, or floodwater spreads over the top of oceanic water in reverse. It’s common to have a river early in flood to be fresh on top, but the deeper holes still hold salt water, as it’s heavier than fresh. Imagine pouring kerosene on water — it sits on top. This is an exaggerated example, but it shows how it works.

After a few tides the waters mix somewhat.

•

Almost all estuary species can handle a degree of freshwater. Some of my best threadfin salmon sessions have been way up the Mary River a week

lures. Black/purple is a good combo, as it really shows in the muddy stuff.

Fluoro pinks and chartreuse are the same, as do lures with vertical stripes. It’s a

the tide. Barra, mulloway and salmon can move quite a few kilometres with a tide, especially during floods, trying to find food and comfortable water

This nice spotty mackerel was taken along a freshwater edge after a major flood in Hervey Bay. after a major flood, with pure freshwater still running dirty, but hundreds of fish feeding on the schooled-up bony bream pushing up-current. We have also caught jacks, tailor, bream, and flathead alongside spangled perch, silver perch, tarpon, saratoga and obviously barra, all in pure freshwater that the week before was 100% salt! Fish can adapt — otherwise they would perish. Remember this and change your fishing styles accordingly.

Dirty flooded waters require dark or fluoro

contrast thing and really stands out.

Often times when floodwaters are flowing down an estuary or just after the flood, high tide can be a better alternative to fish.

The further offshore you go, the cleaner the water will become. High tide can bring some of this clearer water in, making lures and baits more visible.

Shallow flats or holes just offshore or around the corner from a river mouth are hotspots as well. Most of these fish pushed out by a flood will be mobile with

temperatures and depths.

Here’s a tip; most of the fish here seem to like 5-6m of water. It must be a pressure thing, so that’s a good place to start looking.

So after a flood, the fishing can be great! Just hook up the boat and get out there. Remember to keep an eye out for floating logs, relocated sandbars and dislodged trees that can become stuck on creek beds and sandbanks, making for unwelcome underwater obstructions. It’s good fish cover, but not so good for props!

Small GT are a great inshore sportfish and don’t mind dirty inshore floodwaters.

APRIL 2015

15

Soft plastics for dummies PART ONE NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Starlo launches a series of columns covering the absolute basics of fishing with soft plastics by looking at the all-important subject of how to best rig these highly productive lures.

By now we all know that soft plastics are deadly lures, capable of catching just about anything that swims in any

aquatic environment: salt or fresh, tropical or temperate, deep or shallow. Yet, in my experience, lots of anglers still seem to struggle with the absolute basics of effectively rigging and using these lures.

Believe me, getting this even 10% wrong can reduce your catch rate by up to 90%. Which is where this series comes in.

Over the next few months I plan to go back to the core, underlying fundamentals of successful soft plastic fishing, beginning with perhaps the most important aspect of all:

rigging them properly on a standard jighead.

With the exception of some pre-rigged soft plastics and those with built-in, integrated weights and hooks, these lures are based around a modular system, with different components (the soft lures or ‘tails’ themselves and the jig eads, weights and hooks or other delivery vehicles).

These separate components need to be selected, matched and put together correctly for best results. Don’t be alarmed by this. Soft plastic

The author with a beautiful diamond trevally taken on a well-rigged, shad-style soft plastic.

Always begin by measuring the chosen tail alongside the jighead, taking careful note of the position of the bend of the hook against the back of the plastic. This spot will be the exit point for the hook.

Push the point of the hook into the dead centre of the soft plastic’s nose and begin carefully feeding the tail onto the hook.

fishing actually has a lot in common with bait fishing, so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that rigging softies is a bit like baiting up! When you buy a packet of prawns or pilchards, they don’t come with the hooks and sinkers already fitted… soft plastics are no different.

There are literally dozens of ways that soft plastics can be rigged, but we’re going to start this series with a method that works on most of our fish under the vast majority of conditions: It’s a rigging strategy the Yanks call ‘Texposed’ (a combination

of the words “Texas” and “exposed”). What it means is to present a plastic on a lead-headed jig by pushing the hook point of that jig head into the nose of the soft plastic and feeding the rubber tail around the hook bend before bringing the point out on the mid-line of the plastic’s back.

The result is the standard soft plastic set up we are most familiar with.

As simple as this rig sounds and looks, it’s critically important to get it exactly right. One of the commonest causes of poor fishing results with plastics

Continue feeding the plastic onto the hook and around the bend, keeping the shank of the hook as near to the middle or centre of the plastic as possible. Take your time!

Bring the hook point out dead centre along the plastic’s back at the precise location identified in Step 1 and give the tail a pull, twist and wriggle to make sure it lies dead straight.

Blue groper are hardly a common catch on soft plastics, but if you rig properly every time, you’ll soon start to rack up a growing list of species on these lures.

is incorrectly rigged tails.

Bent, twisted and off-centre plastics simply don’t swim properly. At their worst, they may spin in the water, looking completely unnatural and causing line twist. However, even tails that are rigged only a fraction out of whack and which lay over slightly on their sides when pulled through the water, or don’t quite wriggle right, can often put sharp-eyed species such as bream, snapper or trout off biting.

Following a couple of simple steps every single time you rig a soft plastic tail on a jighead will help to avoid these hassles, and although performing these steps properly probably add an average of 20 or 30 seconds to the rigging of each soft plastic, that extra time pays huge dividends in terms of fish caught.

The four steps to effective rigging of a soft plastic tail on a standard jighead are shown here. Study them carefully, read the captions with each photo and then go and rig a few softies. Regardless of the size, shape and style of the tails you rig, they should end up lying straight and true, just like the ones shown here…

If they do, you’re well on your way to becoming a more successful soft plastics’ fisher!

Next month I’ll be looking at rigging plastics weedless and snag-proof.

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Tech Tricks

Bluewater Swim Shad BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Catching fish on soft plastic shads is nothing new for inshore anglers. In varying sizes, these are popular offerings for everything from bass to snapper and even have their uses for tropical reef species and numerous others.

Generally, these are rigged and presented on jigheads or worm hooks then cast and retrieved around likely looking spots. Most of these are used in sizes similar to the mullet, herring, boney bream and other baitfish present in the area being fished. Ironically, soft plastic shads are rarely used for offshore trolling, even though anglers commonly use hard body lures and numerous other offerings designed to represent a baitfish.

When rigged correctly and trolling out in the bluewater environment, soft plastic shads can be exceptionally productive offerings. Their soft nature often results in multiple strikes from hesitant fish until the hook finds its mark. Soft plastic shads will entice a broad array of offshore species including numerous tunas, mackerels, mahimahi, wahoo, yellowtail kingfish, sailfish, marlin and multiple others. Many anglers have

probably tried trolling these on a conventional jighead and found that they will start to spin after troll speeds reach a couple of knots.

However, correct rigging of these lures will allow them to be trolled reasonably fast (to speeds over 8 knots when flat-lined) or fairly slow by decreasing the amount of chin weighting. Slowing down your troll speed will result in the plastic swimming deeper, which is handy if you troll over some fish suspended down deep. Slowing down, or even stopping, will allow the shad to sink into the strike zone before again resuming normal troll speed.

The rapidly beating tail of a plastic shad is a key feature as not only does this offer visual enticement but it also puts vibration into the water. The slow rocking of the body from side to side also offers some appeal. There are a couple of large plastic shads on the market which are purposely designed for offshore trolling but these are relatively expensive, especially when you consider that you may only get one strike on them before they are rendered useless because the tail is severed. Due to toothy predators, this will still happen with many of the shads we use for offshore trolling, however these offerings are reasonably cheap at only a few

dollars apiece.

You can use virtually any larger shad with this rigging method and I have used shads between 15-28cm over the years to catch an array of species. When rigged with a light chin weight (size 2 or size 3 ball sinker) these shads are ideal for presenting behind a downrigger or trolling board.

With the single hook point facing upwards, this kind of rigging provides a reasonably snag-free presentation.

These plastics can be rigged on either wire or monofilament and a stinger hook, usually a treble or assist single, can be added if you want to increase the hook-up potential, however this will decrease the snag resistance.

When choosing a suitable hook, you will need one that is long enough to provide a good gape clearance between the plastic and the hook point and which is inline, or straight, so that the plastic doesn’t spin when trolled. It is best to put some anode tape put on the shank of chemically sharpened hooks to stop the effects of electrolysis when trolling. Larger chin weights (sinkers) will allow the plastic to be trolled faster or deeper, whilst smaller ones will see it swimming shallower and requiring a slower troll speed.

I generally use ball sinkers between size 3-7 but have also used bean and barrel sinkers.

1

To rig your shad you will need some leader (either wire or monofilament), suitable crimps, a sinker (#5 and #6 ball suit this shad) for the chin weight, a hook (Gamakatsu O’Shaughnessy 8/0 used here) and a plastic shad.

Today I am rigging one of the new Westin Shad Teez 16cm imported by JML Trading which are a supple, yet reasonably tough shad that trolls great. You will also need a swaging tool and a bait needle or skewer to complete this task.

2

Lay your hook alongside your shad to ascertain the position where the bend will exit the shad. The eye of the hook should be positioned just behind the eye of the shad. Mark this exit point with a permanent marker to make it easier.

5

With the hook point and bend now exiting at the point you marked earlier, the plastic will still be a little bunched up along the shank until you push the eye of the hook inside the plastic.

3

Begin inserting the hook centrally into the nose of the plastic. We are going to insert the hook around 5-7mm deep of the back. Keep in mind that when finished, we require the inserted hook shank should run parallel to the back only 5-7mm under it.

7

Remove the bait needle and pass your leader through the hole it has made. Make sure the leader enters and exits the head centrally to ensure the plastic maintains its optimum action and troll speed.

18

APRIL 2015

4

As you insert the hook you will need to roll the plastic around the bend as shown.

Put the plastic side on to avoid tearing it as the point penetrates the back. Use your fingers to hold the plastic hard to the hook as you slowly complete this task. Take your time inserting the hook correctly as it will be difficult to get it straight if you rush it, which will affect the stability of the plastic under troll speed.

8

Place your sinker on the leader so that it is under the chin of the shad and crimp a loose loop as shown. A tight loop will decrease the swimming action of the shad, especially at speed.Your completed rig should be nice and straight with no distortion of the shad’s natural shape and the exit point of the hook and the penetration points of the leader should be centrally placed. Put a towing loop or swivel on the other end of your leader and you are good to go.

6

Holding the hook shank, continue feeding the plastic along the hook until the eye of the hook pops inside the plastic and it is now nice and straight on the hook. If you stuff it up first time you can take the hook out and try again as it is important that the plastic is straight and not distorted due to the hook penetration. Push a bait needle or skewer through the head centrally so that it passes through the eye of the hook. You can tug on the hook shank a little to ensure you have it in the correct position.

9

Rigging on wire is exactly the same as with a monofilament leader. If you wish to add a stinger hook you can do so as shown or loop an assist hook to bend of the main hook.

These shads are simple to rig, easy to troll and will catch a broad array of bluewater predators.

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Back to basics knot tying: Flemish eye BRISBANE

Kim Bain

The Flemish eye, aka offshore knot, is primarily used in strand-type wire

leaders, such as nyloncoated or uncoated, 7 and\or 49 strand wire trace.

It can be used to create an open loop, such as when you want to allow a

minnow type lure to have freedom of movement; or alternatively the eye can be snugged down tight if the wire and its filaments are light (small diameter) and flexible enough.

double barrel crimp

7-strand wire

1

Firstly, slide a metallic crimping sleeve (aka ‘crimp’) onto the wire.

Ensure that you use a correctly sized sleeve.

Generally the correct sleeve number (size)

2

Make a loop eyelet: Make an overhand knot in the wire line in order to form a loop, and pull on the line to tighten the loop down to the required size. Next, you will need to pass\ weave the line around the wire loop at least a

second time.

Attach either a hook, swivel, or lure with a towing eyelet: Form an overhand knot, making sure when starting, to pass the tag end of the wire through the eye of the hook (or swivel or eyelet).

Ensure that you thread the tag end through the ‘eye’

a second time so that you’ve passed it through twice while forming the Flemish eye. Do this while tucking the tag end back through\around the loop previously created (i.e. add one more wrap), which will form a double overhand knot as an open loop.

will be stated on the packaging. Commonly, oval-section sleeves and double-barrel ‘binocular’ sleeves (aka figure 8 crimps) will give a more securely crimped connection on strandtype cable wire.

These twin-barrelled crimps are typically made of a soft metal such as coated copper. When crimped shut, the inside surface of the crimp will form around and grip the wire strands thus giving a secure connection.

Flemish eye (three-turn)

3

Thread the tag end of the wire back through the metallic sleeve (aka crimp).

QR CODE

4

There are two options: Close the loop: Pull on the tag end (and the tag

end as well as the main line) in order to snug the Flemish eye tightly closed.

Then push the metallic sleeve down as far as

you can so that the crimp slides up against the outside of the eye.

Keep the loop open: If bulk isn’t a problem, use

an ‘open jawed’ plastic thimble (horseshoe shaped) installed inside the loop of the Flemish eye.

Then crimp\swage the metallic sleeve closed. This secures the connection and then trim the tag end.

GENEO KUSTOMS

There are lots of great examples of tying the Flemish eye on the net. Scan the QR code above for a simple visual demonstration.

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Northern rivers a hive of activity RICHMOND RIVER

Joey Allan

The Northern Rivers has been a hive of activity over the last of summer some of it great, some not so great. What has been the by-product from the threat of tropical cyclone Marcia is a huge flush to the river system. This has really improved the fishing around the lower reaches of the Richmond River.

Deep divers like the Atomic Shiner 75DD in colours like Tim’s Prawn and Blood Red have really produced some trophy catches. If you can get the right tide coinciding with a dusk or a dawn some explosive fish have been captured on surface. Try the larger walking stickbaits like the Bassday Sugar Pen 95.

Make sure you have a quality main line and leader set up as these things are pulling hard and the initial hit will bust anything that’s not set up

starting to decline however with the next full moon not far off the number should pick up later in the month.

No crab is safe now that Gary ‘Squidgy’ Palmer is out of hospital and hunting again. If anyone runs into the old boy just ask for his secret recipe for chilli mud crab.

INSHORE Snapper are around the inshore reefs in good numbers at the moment. There is an increasing number of guys chasing fish offshore on jet skis with full rod holder and esky set ups on board. This is a pretty adventurous way of chasing the blue water hunters, especially if you’re visited by any of the local shark population.

Reports of snapper size are up to 9kg but most commonly around the 4kg to 5kg mark which make for beautiful table fish. The go-to plastics on these fellas are the Z-Man 5” Paddlers or the Atomic 6” Jerk minnows.

Solid white is always the go-to.

A few mackerel and cobia have been showing up. The mackerel have been thick in patches.

Off the beaches and headlands the tailor have started to really fire up.

Doesn’t matter whether on metals or live/cut baits they are really starting to hunt in big numbers.

Be safe on the rocks, no fish is worth anyone going for a swim or ultimately losing your life. It is great to see these fish back as last year we struggled to see the tailor season really kick off.

FRESHWATER Bass are starting to be caught again now the water is clearing up a little. The dirty water flowing in from all the drains and creeks is a good place to start.

Very noisy surface walkers and quality poppers like the Megabass Pop-X are a great lure in early morning or late evening.

Spinnerbaits however have been the most

The author loves his Richmond River bass fishing.

They seem to bite better in the strong run-off. productive with big blades that move lots of water drawing the most fish.

Jet ski fishing the inshore reefs is becoming popular on the north coast – Josh Carter is behind this great red.

The mangrove jack population has been out in numbers and size. Most rock walls around Ballina have been firing on the last part of the run-out tide.

well. Pay particular attention to main line to leader knots.

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Josh Carter was responsible for the undoing of this cobia.

The fish are really feeding on everything being washed in by the water run-off. It’s common to see great numbers come in from only a few hours fishing. When the water’s dirty there always seems to be a little more venom in the strike, almost enough to pull the rod from your hands. It’s a great way to fish these beautiful natives.

The ABT BREAM round at the Tweed was run and won in late February.

Reports were the fishing was tough but not as tough as was predicted after almost 300mm of rain the weekend before.

Great numbers of fish were caught but consistency on the big fish were hard to find. Well done to Mark Crompton from NSW for winning with 10/10 and a weight of 5.21kg. A very respectable 2 day limit.

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Hit the rocks for some LBG action ILUKA

Ben Pilch bjpcdh@gmail.com

April is the start of our land based game season.

Hopefully the rains that we had at the end of summer

won’t mess with the season too much. The Spanish mackerel don’t mind a little colour, but the longtail tuna are a bit more finicky.

Watching the weather and sea surface temperatures closely will help you to be out on the stones at the right … or do what local mulloway fisho Mark Pixie does, and concentrate on the silver ghosts when the mullet are around.

…maybe a nice Spanish mackerel…

Some of the fun things you can get into at this time of year — boat a cobia…

time with the greatest chance of pulling one of those pelagic speedsters up on the bricks.

It can be a bit of a lucky dip when you send out your live bait or throw a lure at this time of year, because you

never know what you might hook. The bycatch sure can be interesting, ranging from mega tussles with sharks or marlin, to a nice tasty mulloway.

LBG is all about early starts and long days sitting in

the elements with not much action. You may think that sounds boring, but trust me, the times when it all does comes together can have you walking around with a smile on your dial for ages and it’s very addictive.

So if your spouse gets upset with you going out for a quick bream fish, don’t take up LBG fishing because I know blokes that go missing for months on end when the longtails are working the east coast.

If this is all happening on land, you can bet it will also be happening outside as well. The boat fishos should be getting the same species at the usual spots like Shark Bay and Angourie. There are not many things more fun than trying to put the brakes on a longtail tuna with light gear. It

always pays to have a casting outfit rigged up and ready to fire, so if you see a bit of bird action, you’re ready to go — and they can ‘go’ quite quickly sometimes.

If chasing an upgrade on your Spanish mackerel, you can’t go past trolling a live bait. Try any of the usual suspects like yakkas, mullet or gar, but by far the best is a slimy mackerel. Slow trolling one around any of the inshore reefs should see you in with a good chance of connecting to something big.

In the river, everyone will be keeping an eye out for the mullet and what feeds on them — the mighty Clarence Valley mulloway. Find the mullet and you can guarantee a few big silver slabs won’t be too far behind.

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Doggone weather!

THE TWEED

David Solano

Fish on the Tweed the past month? Well it’s been pretty bad for me, as we’ve had so much rain the river has turned to mud with all that runoff coming from Terranora Broadwater, Bilambil Heights and Cobaki Broadwater. The outgoing tides have been awful; I’ve been continuously dodging floating logs, bits of land, and if it wasn’t so bad I would have

laughed at seeing a floating island go on by.

The incoming tide is the time to fish and out at the seaway where the clean incoming meets the outgoing is a great place and an opportunity to chase some mulloway that tend to feed there. The best I’ve managed is catching a few flathead by trolling deep diving hardbodies, but with so much junk still in the water, that was hard going too.

I know there was a big article on the ABT comps in last month’s magazine, and I’d just like to share my

Table fish connoisseurs will know Dave has hit the jackpot here. And on a lure, no less.

experiences fishing the comps.

It all started at my workplace (Griffith University Dental School) where I couldn’t help but overhear these 2 blokes talking about fishing. I got to know them quite well, I’d help them with their lab work, and they’d take me out the seaway hunting big trevs. Eventually Tristan Taylor and David McKenzie invited me down to the Clarence to fish my first ABT bream comp. It was a great atmosphere having all these keen fishos together. I have to say it wasn’t that easy to catch a legal bream, and when I did I grabbed my boater Darren Love in a bear hug and danced around the boat yelling and screaming. I kid you not, I was that excited.

Some of the folks I fished with have actually won the grand final. It’s a pleasure to watch these guys in action, and what you learn is amazing. I stopped using bait, started to release any fish I caught, and basically made fishing a far more exciting thing to do. I don’t ‘fish’ anymore — I like to think more I’m hunting.

There was a comp on the Tweed recently, but luckily the river had started to clear for those who entered. The

THE INAUGURAL

POTTSVILLE FISHING CLASSIC

Held at the Pottsville Sports Club 479 Coast Road, Pottsville

June 6-7th 2015 Queens Birthday Long Weekend

A nice soapy for Dave. bite, well there’s fish around, but hard to get, although once the river clears completely things should go back to normal.

So with nothing to say about where they are biting, I’ll finish with a funny story, though it wasn’t so funny at the time. It had just got light and I was in a canal system. The tide was really low and I was having some success around and under a particular boat when I heard a low growling sound.

I turned around to see this giant bulldog staring at me and he had a mate — a big wolfish looking beast. I told the dog to be quiet (really, I said something else, but it’s unprintable), and resumed casting, when I heard an ominous splash.

I turned back to see the bulldog heading straight for me, only a few feet away.

I knew he was after me because when I’d turn, he’d turn. Luckily I could just out-run him with the Hobie’s upgraded turbo fins, but as I was furiously peddling away I got such a shock at what happened next! I couldn’t believe it, but big wolf dog had run up the beach, jumped in and was trying to cut me off!

Jeez, so now there are 2 of them chasing me, so I really gunned it, as I only had a window of a metre or 2, staring into wolf dog’s eyes. I’m thinking this can’t be happening, but I made it by a metre. I was shaking like anything, couldn’t even hold a rod in fact. That’ll teach me to tell doggy to be quiet, and quiet it was except for the laughter coming from a couple of houses.

I went back the next week and there on the same shoreline was a bloke with a little bulldog. I told him what had happened and it seems someone had told the council, so the dogs were locked

in their yards. It transpired that the little dog belonged to surfer Joel Parkinson and near his jetty is one of my hotspots.

Oh, there is something biting! All this fresh has stirred up the mud crabs.

There’s a local lad Jessie, who keeps posting photos on Facebook of some real monsters. I run into him on the river sometimes and do you think he’ll tell me where he puts his pots? He didn’t need to, as I carry binoculars on the ’yak, so I see a lot of stuff and sorry mate, I know and here’s a hint — around the mangroves and weed beds. Good luck!

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Grr! The big wet has got the muddies on the move.

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Rain brings on the mulloway the bites.

Easter holidays means spotted and Spanish mackerel should be in

GOLD COAST

Danny Sands

The Gold Coast has seen its fair share of rain over the last few months. With the precipitation and the start of the transition stage, both winter and summer species should fire in April.

April is a great month to chase Spanish mackerel and wahoo, and trolling hardbody lures such as the Halco Laser Pro 190, and Hex Head skirts are great options. I like to upgrade the trebles on my Laser Pros to decoy singles, as it means I can troll hardbodies faster, which wahoo love, and the decoys have a better hook up rate than a treble, as they seem to penetrate the hard mouth of a wahoo better.

Trolling at 10-12kts around hotspots like the Tweed 9 Mile, Burleigh Gravel Patch and out in 26 fathoms off Southport will work. The big lesson that I have learnt fishing on the Gold Coast is to always have a block of pilchards on board. Sometimes, with the amount of boats trolling these days, it causes the mackerel to go deep and become finicky. A pilchard on a set of gang hooks is more enticing than any lure or metal, and often gets

close on Palm Beach and Mermaid reefs. Anchoring up and float-lining pilchards is still the best option. A nice steady berley trail will see boats enjoying double and triple hook ups on the razor gang.

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using my 80lb Minn Kota with Anchor Lock over the ground I want to fish. Try mixing it up with a couple of livies deep, and floatline pilchards down the berley trail. Try and keep sinker size to the minimum you can get away with. A variety of species will respond to this technique, including mulloway, mackerel, yellowtail kingfish, or an early season cobia. Try working the pinnacles around the 18 and 24 fathom reefs off Southport, the reef off the Focus building at Surfers Paradise, as well as Fidos off the Tweed.

INSHORE With the amount of dirty water running out to sea, the mulloway have fired up at the Seaway and Tweed bar. The Seaway is holding large schools and both soft plastics and soft vibes have been working extremely well. Still, the go-to lure has been the 7”

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Peter Denaro with a wahoo caught while floatlining for snapper.

Further up the Nerang River, the whiting have improved in numbers. The best areas have been from The Southport School to the powerlines on the Isle of Capri. Fishing the bigger tides around the full moon has produced better numbers of whiting. Bloodworms and canal Wrigglers have been the go-to baits, but

on weekends and it’s too rough to head outside, how about giving Hinze Dam a go? Hinze fishes extremely well in April, with both the eastern and western arms producing good numbers of bass and saratoga just minutes away from the boat ramps. Using surface lures like small poppers, cicada patterns and stickbaits that

I

Dan Hickey from Switch Bait with an early morning bass from Hinze Dam. afraid to use big live baits, such as pike and slimy mackerel. I like fishing the wash on the northern wall on the last of the run-out.

Cast in nice and close and hold on.

with the amount of fresh water the humble yabby is still a great option.

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Gulp Jerkshad in both pearl white and pink shine rigged on a 1oz 7/0 TT jighead.

There are 4 main areas that mulloway hold in the Seaway: the hole on the north wall, north wall off the wavebreak island, the reef in front off the tower, and the pipeline. All of these are extremely hard to fish and can be a costly exercise tackle-wise. To cut lure losses, I like to maintain complete contact by using the electric motor and vertically tea-bagging the lure, and not letting it drag across the bottom.

Sharks have been a huge problem for mulloway anglers lately, so it is wise to beef up your gear and try to get the fish in before you get taxed.

As the water cools down, the Seaway jacks will be feeding hard before winter kicks in, so don’t be

Sharks have been a problem in the Seaway after all the rain, as Phil Nordstrom found out.

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can be dog walked across the surface is a very successful option. Try casting in tight to freshly flooded grass and trees. Early morning and late afternoons have produced the bigger fish.

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Make a lot of noise in April GOLD COAST CANALS

Josh Dunn

April is prime surface fish time on the Gold Coast canals, with surface lures that walk, dance, skip, pop and make a lot of noise and commotion a sure fire way to start a hot surface session. Any lure that looks like a wounded baitfish is primed to get eaten by a variety of species.

SURFACE ACTION While there’s a host of gun topwater lures, two of my favourites are the small River2Sea Bubble Pop, and the Lucky Craft G-Splash.

Big bream will be on the prowl during April, and trevally, jacks and whiting will all be willing to hunt baitfish and eat surface lures.

The recent flood has flushed out the canals and the fish are starting to fire as things start to recover.

Translucent, silhouette coloured baits are the go-to at the moment, with motor oil, bloodworm, and mulletron colours in the Z-Man range producing plenty of fish. For bait anglers pilchards, prawns and squid are proving effective.

The prawns are in great numbers and the rivers are starting to fire, with plenty of anglers throwing their cast nets for these highly sought-after crustaceans.

Don’t be surprised to get up

is to sound up your prawns before you begin throwing your cast net, it will make life much easier, and save you a lot of time and effort.

EASING UP In the next month the

The author releases a 40cm GT back into the water, free to once again terrorise the local baitfish population. to a kilo of prawns each cast when you have found a good patch. A very productive tip

water temps will start to slowly drop and the rain will become less frequent.

The cooler water will bring the big bream out as they start to move into their pre-spawn and spawning phases. As this happens fishing for them down deep is the way to go, and once again sounding them up will save a lot of time and effort. Blades are my best tip for deep water bream, with 1/8oz and 1/12oz blades perfect for this situation. The channel markers throughout the Broadwater are prime spot for big bream.

In the last few years I have recorded quite a few flathead caught around this time of year, with most fish coming from the canals, and some from the Broadwater.

A lot were caught around bridges where the bait normally sits. Just like with bream, blades are the gun lure to use for these bottom dwellers.

WHITING TIME Whiting on poppers are proving a tonne of fun around the sand flats. An often overlooked predator, the best time to chase whiting on poppers is on a run-out tide as the bait is being pushed off the flats by the tide. If you’re a bait fisher try fishing with

Lachie Gava with his first ever jack.

Caught from a sand bank on a soft plastic, it was surprise to say the least. bloodworms or live yabbies for the best results.

This month trevally will be the species on my hit list and I’ll be steadfastly trying to break my PB. To do this I’ll be fishing the prime bite period for trevally, which will see me hitting the water at 3:30am and fishing to just after sunrise.

In the afternoon I’ll be on the water around 5:30pm and throwing surface lures until just after dark. If this sounds like you, remember to throw and work your lures close to structure, with jetties, pontoons, sand banks and rock walls all popular hangouts for trevally. Also don’t be surprised to find

a large school of big GT in these locations, so don’t fish too light.

April is great month to be on the canals, and in many ways is a transition month, with our active summer surface species still on the chew and the winter species such as bream starting to move into their winter patterns and haunts.

Jacks, trevally, flathead, whiting, and the emergence of the Gold Coast bigger bream are all there for the taking so get out there and get amongst them. Have a happy and safe fish-filled Easter, and let’s hope we all get plenty of Easter eggs and catch plenty of fish.

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Big bluewater bonanza GOLD COAST

David Green

April brings with it some milder temperatures and slightly more pleasant weather, and with that come a whole host of fantastic estuarine and bluewater targets.

OFFSHORE April is a great month to target blue marlin, Spanish mackerel and wahoo. This season has already produced hundreds of Spanish mackerel on the 18 and 24 fathom grounds and the flooding rain of February has pushed a lot of bait out onto the inshore reefs and the mackerel have been in good numbers. When the Spaniards are thick they respond well to cast metals, trolled hardbodied lures and trolled baits, but when they get hit hard or are touchy you need to use live baits or carefully rigged dead baits trolled off a down rigger to get the bites. A few big spotted mackerel should also be around in April on the reefs off Southport.

This month should also see some good mackerel

fishing on Palm Beach and Mermaid Reefs and there will be a mix of spotted and Spanish mackerel. A berley trail of chopped pilchards soon brings the fish around, and spinning, floating pilchards and live baits will all be effective.

Fish light single strand wire traces to a half pilchard bait and a single 3/0 hook buried in the bait. Early morning tide changes are generally quite productive, and when the current flows the fishing is generally better.

Wahoo have been quiet this year but hopefully will turn up around the Tweed Nine Mile Reef this month.

High-speed trolling using lures like Hex Heads is a very effective method, especially early in the morning. Slowly trolled live tuna are another very effective bait for big wahoo. As the water cools a bit, the wahoo often turn up in numbers with a few fish over 25kg turning up on the Nine Mile Reef every April. The 36 Fathom Reef, the Mud Hole and the Gravel Patch off Burleigh Heads also produce wahoo. They are a common by-catch when

mackerel trolling on the 24 fathom line in April.

Out on the continental shelf the blue marlin fishing should be good this month. As the water cools to around 24°C and the current slows a bit it is common to see big eddies forming on the sea surface temperature charts, and when this happens the blue marlin fishing is generally pretty good.

I fish out of a 6m boat for blues and one of my favourite areas is around the 250m line northeast of the seaway. Over the years this part of the slope has produced plenty of blues for my little boat and the grounds are roughly 50km from the seaway entrance. I troll 5 lures in a spread and have found over the last 2 seasons that I’ve had more bites on slightly smaller lures around 25cm in length fished with a pair of 9/0 hooks. We troll stand up 37kg gear and use a Black Magic harness. The blue marlin we have caught in this area average between 130-150kg and are one of the most amazing fish you will ever see from a relatively small boat.

A big jack on a soft vibe fished close to structure. These red devils will thin out toward the end of the month but there’s still enough around to have some fun.

This month should see some reasonable bottom fishing on the 36 and 50 fathom lines, current permitting. There should be snapper, kingfish, Samson, amberjack and pearl perch on live baits, jigs, soft plastics

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APRIL 2015

and paternoster rigs.

As the water cools, the bottom fishing will start to improve.

RIVERS AND ESTUARIES April can produce a lot of decent whiting, especially if there have

been good summer rains.

It is also a time when the prawns are thick and is a good month to chase whiting on surface lures as they chase small jelly prawns across the surface.

Catching whiting on poppers has become very

Ben Job releasing a blue marlin out on the continental shelf.

popular in recent times and is a fun way to fish. My favourite whiting popper is the Bassday Sugar pen.

This is more of a shallow cup faced stickbait but it works extremely well on whiting in places like the Pimpama River and Coombabah Creek. The secret is to wind fast in a continuous retrieve. If you see a fish following do not slow down, just keep it going quickly. Most of the hits are surprisingly savage. My personal best whiting on a popper measured 41cm to the fork of the tail and I really enjoy this style of fishing.

There should still be a few jacks around this month and in April they often respond well to surface poppers. The Lucky Craft G Splash is probably the most popular popper in Gold Coast waters when targeting jacks. Worked around marinas and the edges of pontoons, The G Splash gets chomped by jacks on a very regular basis. Soft plastics and hardbodies will also catch a few jacks but as the water cools down a little the action will slow towards the end of the month.

A few flathead will turn up on the flats chasing prawns but most will be in

the 35-55cm range. The tackle shops have been brimming with plenty of new offerings for flathead this season, from Savage Crabs to some great looking weighted stickbaits and prawn imitations. I usually have a few early season exploratory trips in April trying new spots and new lures. It isn’t too hard to get a nice feed but don’t expect monsters this month.

The Seaway and Jumpinpin entrances should have good numbers of medium sized mulloway this month that will respond to live baits and plastics. While a few fish over 1m long will turn up most will be in the 60-80cm bracket and it can be a tough month to catch a mulloway of legal size.

As well as mulloway, the deep water will produce flathead, trevally and bull sharks. The sharks can be a major problem in the Jumpinpin entrance eating a lot of hooked fish.

April is also a great month for mud crabs and prawns and the Pimpama River, Russell Island and Jacobs Well are all worth a look for prawns this month.

Overall, it should be a good month with plenty of options.

Tracy Mammen with a nice mackerel taken offshore of the Southport Seaway.

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No fool fishing in April JUMPINPIN

Mick Morris gembait@tpg.com

April is a cracking time of year to fish the Pin with the weather mostly perfect at this time of year. It’s getting cooler but the days are still warm and all your favourite Jumpinpin species should be on the bite.

Some really good quality bream have been caught lately probably due to finally getting some rain and the water temp dropping. Try around the bottom of Russell Island, the Powerlines, Short Bank, and Diner Island.

Chook gut, froggies, mullet gut and peeled banana

prawns have all been the pick baits. I’ve found that by peeling the prawns the fish tend to just smash the bait and inhale it rather than picking at it. You will have to be on the ball though when waiting for a strike or you might miss that big fish. Using a bait runner reel can help as well when targeting bream or juvenile snapper, as they will pick up the bait and run with it and, because they feel little to no resistance from the line, will swallow the bait and become easier to hook.

Flathead are being caught on all sorts of soft plastics like twist tails, double tails, worms, grubs and minnows.

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Trolling hardbodied lures is working well too and pretty much how I catch 90% of my flathead nowadays.

Try trolling in 2-8ft of water along the edges of islands and weed banks. Best time has been the last two hours of the run-out tide as the water drains off the banks.

The flatties will be sitting waiting for the baitfish to come off these banks and score an easy meal. The best baits have been pilchards, froggies and prawns and the best spots to try are Slipping Sands, mouth of Whalleys Gutter, Tabby Tabby and near Tulleen Island on the weed banks.

There are plenty of live bait in the water, especially around the Bar and the bottom of North Straddie. I saw schools and schools of baitfish there and birds diving having a feed. There were no tailor that day but I’m sure it won’t be long until they turn up. If you’re using lures

The author’s brother Richie with some thumping Jumpinpin tailor. to target tailor try to use the same size as the bait, which is usually only the small 10-20g size. Alternatively try

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Nathan Huth landed these two beauties from his kayak in the Logan.

using pilchards or white bait in mid water out from Swan Bay, at Kalinga Bank and the deep side of Crusoe Island.

They have been caught as far in as the Alberton boat ramp.

There are some top quality whiting about lately with some real elbowslappers being caught in the upper reaches of the Logan River from the Junction and Ageston Sands. The mouth of the Logan and the entrance to Redland Bay Channel are also popular spots to try. Other hot spots further out that should produce some whiting are towards the northern end of Cobby Passage, the Gold and Green banks, Never Fail Islands and off the sand banks near Couran Cove. Bloodworms and beach worms have been the pick of the baits.

There have been a few cod and mangrove jack on offer if you can cast net some livies. If you can’t get live bait then bonito strips, pilchards or fresh mullet fillets should do the trick.

They will take soft plastics, hardbodied lures and soft vibes as well and be sure to be geared up as they hit hard and fight hard. Try fishing along the rocky ledges at Giants Grave, Cobby Passage, Marks Rocks in the Logan, the bottom of

Kangaroo Island, the rock walls in the Coomera and the mouth of the Pimpama River.

School mulloway are being caught in good numbers from Kalinga Bank to the deep water off the bottom of Swan Bay, Marks Rocks, Pitts Rocks, Giants Grave and the point of Short Island. Use live bait, big mullet strips or bonito strips, 5-7” soft plastics and big balls of sand worms heaped together are a mulloway’s favourite as well.

Banana prawns have been around in good numbers from the rivers and look to be sticking around so grab the cast net and get out there as the chance to get a good feed of prawns is hard to resist. Target feeder creeks and drains as they tend to congregate there feeding on all the goodies that get washed out into the river.

Crabs tend to quiet down this time of year but with all the rains at the start of the year I think the season will go a little longer, so keep taking the pots out.

• Thanks for all your reports and fish weighed in. Drop us a line at Gem Bait and Tackle if you’d like to order bait or get some up to date info on what’s biting on 07 3287 3868 or email gembait@ tpg.com.au.

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All fine in the southern bay SOUTHERN BAY

Nabeel Issa

As we head towards winter, the weather should start to improve and become more stable, bringing welcome relief from the wet and windy conditions that dominated the start of 2015.

STEADY SHE GOES The weather has been so inconsistent and varied that it’s been hard to pick a day to head out, with the wind constantly changing and the likelihood of rain always on the cards in the South East.

April last year was a great month for Moreton Bay, and with the weather starting to stabilise things are looking promising for another fishfilled April.

March was a good month for those that found the time to head out into the bay, with reports rolling in of longtail tuna popping their heads up throughout the regionThey have been very flighty though so anglers have had to work hard to get them to take a lure. Long casts and spending a bit of time working out which way the fish are moving has been the key to getting a shot at one.

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producing the goods as usual, and time and time again proves to be the place to be for consistency. Snapper and sweetlip have been the main targets and have been caught right throughout the southern bay. Look for shallow reef edges and then position your boat about 15m off the reef and cast your lure to the drop-off. Lightly weighted

fresh baits such as squid, or jighead rigged soft plastics are the go-to baits and lures and will have you armed to catch plenty of fish.

PELAGIC ACTION The coming month should see the pelagic activity increase, and for many tuna will be at the top of the pelagic list. For those with a taste for tuna, the

A nice sized flathead caught on a 4” Z-Man Curly Tailz.

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deeper channels will be the places to check out, with the Rainbow and Rous channels two standouts. Here anglers will find tuna working bait against the edge of the channel, and keeping an eye open for working birds is an effective and reliable way to locate fish.

April is also an excellent time to catch big snapper, especially on the deep artificial reefs. Harry Atkinson Artificial is a great option if you want to get yourself onto a big snapper.

Looking for bait schools with your sounder, and then fishing your lures and bait through these areas is a sure fire way to come up tight on a big fish. It’s worth spending a little time driving around looking for bait and fish on your sounder, and it’ll greatly increase you chances of catching fish. I like using lures with green through them such as the 5” Z-Man Streakz in baby bass colour.

If the fishing is quiet often adding a little scent to your soft plastics can make the difference between getting a bite or going home fishless.

I’ve lost count of the times I have added Pro-Cure Scent to my lures and had instant success. Snapper in Moreton Bay are a heavily pressured

Chris Cornell with a good sized juvenile snapper taken in the shallows. fish so any edge you can give yourself is going to help you stand out from the crowd and help get you onto fish.

FLATHEAD FEVER Flathead are a worthy target species in the southern bay as well, with plenty being caught at the moment.

The size hasn’t been huge but there have been a lot around the 40-50cm size range. At this size they are a perfect size to take home for a feed.

For flathead, soft plastics and bladed lures have been the standouts, with Russell and Macleay Islands the pick of the spots. Look for shallow weedy areas and aim to fish the run-out tide. Baitfish flicking in area is a sure sign that predators are about, and a good indicator of potential success. For flathead stick to

lures in the 3-4” range and be prepared to catch a few bream as by-catch. Chasing flathead is a good option if the weather isn’t great as you can always find somewhere sheltered around the southern islands to get out of the wind.

They are relatively easy to catch and good fun on the light gear, and well worth a thought if you’re stuck for ideas for your next trip!

If you have any stories you would like to share, or a photo of a fish you caught in the southern bay region email them through to me at nabs12@gmail.com, along with a little description, and I’ll do my best to get them in the magazine. All the best for Easter, I hope you get stuck into a few fish if you get a chance to wet a line.

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Cooling down will change target species increase in the numbers of surface feeding longtails throughout Moreton Bay. Firstly we should encounter them in the northern bay, especially along the front of Bribie Island, the North-West Channel and Pearl Channel. Keen anglers may have already travelled further north to the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay to get amongst them during March. These areas provide an indicator of how good our season is likely to be, as the tuna pass through these waters before reaching us as they journey south.

Along the front of Bribie, the longtails will often feed very close to the beach and anglers have even caught them from land-based positions when

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Although I dislike the cold weather, the array of quality fish on offer is enough to get me out of bed on a cold morning to get amongst them.

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they herd and crash bait against the shore break.

Transiting through this area at a suitable distance from the beach so you can see any fish and additionally a good distance east, will allow you to cover a large area of water. Birds may not accompany the longtails, so your first visual indication may only be a swirl or small surface disturbance.

For this reason, glassed out days will make it a lot easier to spot fish from afar.

Good lure options include chromed slugs and slices, stickbaits, jerkshad plastics, pencil poppers and numerous other alternatives. As the baitfish on which the longtails are feeding are generally fairly small — often only a couple of centimetres long and almost clear — it is hard to tempt the tuna with many lures. Fly fishers often have the upper hand in this situation, as they can present extremely small offerings that would not be castable on standard spin tackle.

With fly fishing, the weight of the fly line loads the rod, not the weight of the lure on the end. Therefore, very small flies that offer an accurate profile and representation of the baitfish can be delivered to the tuna, although you will often need to get a little closer to them than you would with a good spin rod. In addition to longtails, there will also be some smaller tuna species on offer like frigates and mac tuna.

Live baiting throughout areas such as the Caloundra Four Mile, the numerous beacons within the northern part of the bay, along Cowan Ledge and Western Rocks, will put you in with a good chance of success.

Yakkas and slimy mackerel are the prime baits for longtails, although I have seen them caught on pike, cowanyoung, herring and

Snapper numbers will improve during April, as the air and water temperatures begin to fall. even grinners. Fish your baits anywhere from just under the surface to mid-water.

Circle hooks offer a good hookup rate when live-baiting longtails, providing you allow the tension to just take up and don’t strike aggressively.

Cobia and large snapper make welcome by-catch in these areas. Over the coming months, longtails should spread throughout the bay and will be found well south of Peel Island at times. Keep a lookout when transiting throughout Moreton Bay and you may locate a school or 2.

PRAWNS Hopefully by now you should have secured a few tasty feeds of prawns from the creek and river systems throughout southern Queensland. The deluge we experienced in late February will have flushed plenty of nutrients into the relevant systems, which provides good conditions for prawns. The Pine and Brisbane rivers are 2 popular systems for prawning, however, the Caboolture, Logan and numerous others are definitely worth the effort with a cast net. M a n y of these have several landbased areas where prawns can be taken, and I know some who can manage their 10l limit at times. Prawns can be taken at all stages of the tide, although in the deeper holes and ledges the periods around the change offers the best opportunity.

Larger cast nets will generally provide a better yield than the smaller models due to the increased area that they cover, however, prawns can be taken in all manner of cast nets, regardless of style or size. Apart from excellent baits for most estuarine and many shallow reef

species, the larger banana prawns offer a succulent seafood feast when boiled or grilled.

BRISBANE RIVER With prawns running throughout most of the estuarine areas, predator activity is often heightened as a result. The Brisbane River generally fishes well for threadfin, snapper, mulloway, flathead, bream and numerous others when the prawns are running.

Threadfin in particular will follow the prawn schools up and downriver and therefore many anglers will achieve good results while live baiting from either a boat or landbased. Virtually any river inhabitant will pounce upon a large banana prawn fished close to the bottom, so it can be a real lucky dip when fishing like this. For this reason, many anglers prefer to fish with lures when targeting threadies, snapper, mulloway and the like, as it decreases undesirable by-catch such as sharks, rays, pike eels and catfish.

Good offerings can include vibration baits, moderate sized minnow lures, soft plastics (especially shads and prawn profiles) and numerous others. Generally speaking, if you put it in the strike zone and work the lure well, you are in with an above average chance of hooking-up.

Floodlit areas around the bridges and such will generally attract baitfish at night. In turn, these often hold predatory fish, especially mulloway, threadfin and tailor. The area around the Gateway Bridge is an extremely popular location that continues to produce, but there are many spots to explore along the river’s length.

Snapper numbers are generally very good during April, with areas down towards the mouth, including Claras Rocks, around the bases of the jetties (be aware of restrictions), and prominent ledges and dropoffs being good options for those with baits or lures.

Bream are also prominent captures in these zones, with many falling for a variety of baits, although some anglers specifically target them with lures, especially in the shallower areas along the retaining wall at the mouth, the Sunken Wall, Boggy Creek, Aquarium Passage and around any pylons or other structure.

Small plastics, blades and other vibration baits are commonly used.

Estuary cod, snapper and flathead are regular bycatch of anglers targeting bream in the Brisbane River. It will still be worth setting a few crab pots if a feed of mud or sand crabs in on your radar.

STEALTH FOR SNAPPER A favourite target of bay anglers is snapper, and these should be increasing in prominence throughout the month. The reef and rubble zones around the bay islands are popular places for anglers to ply their trade with baits and lures.

Snapper will roam and feed in these areas, with activity often heightened around the extremities of the day, dawn and dusk. However, being stealthy in your angling pursuits is often the best approach for a quality catch. Sounds reverberate in the shallows, and the clank of an anchor chain lifting and falling with the rock of the boat will often spook any quality fish for 50m or more. For this reason it is best to anchor

well up from your chosen spot and let out rope until you are close to the fishing zone. From here, you just need to present baits into the chosen area.

Expect to wait at least 20 minutes or so after anchoring to start seeing any results. As the fish are roaming a lot of the time, you don’t need to be on any particular hotspot to catch a quality fish. Continually

shifting and re-anchoring will not increase your chances of catching a fish.

In fact, it will decrease them and annoy the hell out of any anglers nearby.

When fishing on the drift, either with baits or lures, it is wise to circle well wide of your chosen drift line as you re-position for another crack. This way, you won’t spook the fish. Electric motors are

extremely handy for this kind of fishing, as you can adjust the drift line if need be. A careful calculation of the wind and tide will generally allow you to predict a suitable drift line, and generally you don’t have to be exactly on any particular spot to catch fish, as snapper will commonly roam. Often, better quality fish are hooked close to the surface, as they will

Ricky Leslie with a monster Brisbane River threadfin, lured on a Berkley MF40 vibration bait.

rise into the upper levels of the water column to harass hardiheads and gar.

Apart from the zones around the bay islands, other popular areas for targeting snapper include the artificial reefs (Harry Atkinson, Curtin and Peel Artificial) and the numerous wrecks in the bay. Any structure, such as the beacons, reef, rubble and prominent ledges will often hold snapper and other demersal species.

Anglers will commonly locate fish with their sounders before they even make a cast. The snapper fishing will only get better over the coming months, so organise your gear and start planning some trips.

SWEETLIP April is generally a good month for sweetlip, with many anglers specifically targeting this species in areas such as the eastern side of Green Island and around the Hole In The Wall at Peel, however, there are a lot of great spots throughout the bay.

Sweetlip will eat lures such as plastics and vibration baits, but the majority of better specimens will be caught on quality baits.

Fresh is best, with squid, gar fillets, hardiheads, green banana prawns and fresh slimy mackerel or

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of ground. You may even pick up the occasional quality snapper or other species. Last year around this time there were several Spanish mackerel caught at the Harry Atkinson and the Four Beacons. These were mainly taken on live baits of slimy mackerel and pike, however, trolling also produced the occasional bite. Floating out a pilchard or live bait when fishing for snapper around the bay islands could easily produce one of the bay’s 3 mackerel species during April.

CONCLUSION With water and air temperatures lowering during April, anglers will be more inclined to get out into the great outdoors and do a little fishing.

With prime species such as longtail tuna, mackerel, snapper, threadfin, mulloway, bream, sweetlip and many others on offer, you shouldn’t have too much trouble securing a good feed or having a bit of fun. Although the crabbing will be tapering off, prawns and squid will fill the void for some tasty seafood treats. April is a great month to do a little fishing, with plenty of options for both boating and land-based anglers, so get out there and get into it.

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tuna strips being ideal.

Frozen pilchards, prawns, mullet fillets and others can still produce if you can’t get your hands on some fresh product.

Early morning rising tides are prime times for sweetlip, with a hot bite often occurring around dawn.

Sweetlip are extremely tough to pry away from structure and will often have you bricked before you can get any serious pressure on them, so it is best to hand-hold your rod, instead of fishing it from a holder, to get the upper hand when you get a bite.

MACKEREL TRIO There should still be a few mackerel taken within Moreton Bay throughout April. School and spotted mackerel are often caught around the margins of the bay islands and artificial reefs. Occasionally they may be seen harassing bait on the surface, but are more commonly caught by anglers fishing live baits such as yakkas, slimy mackerel or the humble pilchard, either mid water or closer to the surface.

Trolling deep diving minnow lures straight off the rod tip, or spoons behind a paravane is another good way to catch a few while covering a decent amount

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Getting back offshore WHAT’S IN STORE As I’ve mentioned in the previous couple of reports the mackerel haven’t played Very average weather the game this season like conditions this past they have the last couple summer season have seen of years, but there will still www.coorparoomarine.com.au www.coorparoomarine.com.au limited opportunities to be enough fish around in get offshore, resulting in the next couple of weeks to plenty of cancelled trips warrant keeping the trolling 495 Firecat for Outlaw Charters. As a rods rigged and ready result I can’t wait to put on the boat. summer behind us and On our most recent welcome the cooler months charters we have been of autumn and winter. catching a real mixed bag.

Some trips we’ve been catching a few Spanish mackerel, while other trips we’ve been heading out wide and catching a mixed bag of juvenile snapper, amberjack, and mahi mahi.

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Snapper will start to make a strong appearance as we move into the winter months. targeting snapper with greater focus.

Options this month east of the South Passage Bar include Spanish and school mackerel on the coffee rock reefs in 12-15m of water along the front of Moreton Island. The Group and The Sevens will also hold Spaniards and wahoo out around Point Lookout, and if you throw hi-speed trolling lures around you’re likely to pick up the ever-present mac tuna and the occasional rat

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DOWN DEEP For the bottom bashers locations such as the 35 and 42 fathom line, along with Deep Tempest should start to see a few juvenile snapper, pearl perch and the rosy jobfish caught. Shallow Tempest will also be worth a look, with mixed bags of pelagics and bottom fish on 435 Bay the cards.

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A welcome change NORTHERN BAY

Grayson Fong graysonfong@bigpond.com

This time of the year has to be one of the favourites for many anglers in South East Queensland as we start to bid farewell to the balmy nights and blistering hot days, and start to say hello to the cooler autumn months.

The drop in temperature is generally accompanied by a drop in the presence of south easterly winds, replaced by cool westerlies in the morning that are welcome by diehard anglers.

The northern bay has copped a bit of a beating over the last month, a cruel combination of unwelcome

rain and strong winds have stirred up the water, sending bait schools spinning in all directions. What has this got to do with the fishing, I hear you ask? Well baitfish are influenced by currents, tides and winds, and it’s these elements that are largely

responsible for moving them from place to place.

If you find the baitfish there’s a good chance you’ll find the predators that hunt them, so locating baitfish is a leg up when it comes to finding and catching your target species. Whether it’s

Blake O’Grady had a great bream session at Deception Bay.

Juvenile snapper have been popular around Redcliffe. hardiheads schooled up out on North Reef at Scarborough, or tiny baitfish up Elimbah Creek, baitfish are a good thing to look out for when chasing larger species.

LOOKING NORTH The northern bay has seen plenty of prawns filtering out of the rivers and creeks, and as a result the bread and butter species have been in good supply. One area reaping the rewards is the Pumicestone Passage as it has many creeks and tributaries feeding into it, and with rain pushing freshwater into the system, creeks such as Ningi, Elimbah, Hussey and Glasshouse really come into their own as key hot spots. Good bream are being reported on the making tides around these areas with slow rolling soft plastics (lightly weighted) and hardbody lures being the pick of the techniques.

While chasing bream, anglers are also catching good numbers of flathead and grunter, making the Pumicestone Passage a great angling destination when

the weather is unfavourable for heading to open waters.

Reports of good bream being caught in Deception Bay are starting to gather momentum through the fishing circles, with the key elements to success being high tides and lightly weighted baits.

THE PENINSULA The Peninsula has been fishing remarkably well over the last month with good juvenile snapper being caught

approach to catch plenty of fish during the early morning bite period. The lower end of the Peninsula has also fished well lately with Woody Point Jetty, Clontarf foreshore, and The Wells, fishing well on an ebbing tide.

Hays Inlet and Deception Bay have still been producing good whiting with reports of red bellied, mid diving cranks working well in the shallow waters.

Jonathan Thompson landed his first river threadfin salmon. all through the system. With plenty of anglers fishing North Reef and Margate it’s not hard to identify where the bait has been schooling.

Grassy sweetlip and good bream have also been caught from these areas with kayak anglers using their stealth

Sand crab numbers have slowed a little over the last month, but the standout areas are still in the lower end of the Peninsula especially the mouth of the Pine River and Hays Inlet.

TIME TO PINE The Pine River has

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The tough fishing continues CALOUNDRA

Brad McKendrick fishingcaloundra@yahoo.com.au

The past few weeks have been worse than average for fishing, with a late season cyclone and rough seas driven by high winds, and rain, rain and more rain.

The only good thing to come out of all this is that we know the fish are getting bigger in between fishing trips. The sad news is that the schools of mackerel and tuna have gone for another season, so limited opportunities allow nature to refresh and the fish are hungry for some classic pilchards or a live bait.

Since the weather has improved, I reckon every boat owner on the Sunshine Coast has been out. The ramps have been packed and the water full of keen boaties. Sadly, the fishing has not been great and that is largely due to the water quality. As this clears, the fish will move back into the shallow reef areas like the Gneerings, Murphys and Caloundra’s 5 and 7 Mile.

So as we move into the Easter holidays, anglers should still keep a few

hardbody lures in the tackle box because there’s a chance at a big Spaniard or late season tuna. Kingfish will be a good target over the holiday period and the deeper wrecks and large pinnacles will be the best spots to try. Out wide at the Barwon Banks, the Three Sisters would be one spot to drop a live yakka. If the first couple of drifts don’t prove successful, then move 50m and drift a different line.

There are parrot, morwong, pearl perch and juvenile snapper out around the 40m line on the Barwon Banks and Wide Caloundra. The Dog Leg has plenty of smaller fish, so a couple more months into the cooler weather should bring on the bigger ones. Fishing smarter over the next couple of months will be important, so plan your trips carefully and use all the tidal changes that fall around dawn and dusk to fish. Use live bait when you can get it, but if none is available, the humble pilchard and squid will still catch a feed.

Working a lure along the dirty water line, which is defined where the dirty water meets the clear

water, is a great way to catch ambush predators like cobia and tuna. Bigger predators such as mackerel often cruise along the covered dirty water line too, waiting to ambush any school that comes in from the clear water.

After large storms or prolonged periods of rain, the brown water can last for weeks, as the estuaries empty into the ocean on the tide changes. With the dirty water comes a number of dangers, and possibly the worst is the amount of debris that is hidden in it.

You need to be watching all the time for sticks, logs, rubbish or other items that could cause severe damage to your boat or prop.

The estuaries will take longer to clear out the dirty water, but it creates a lot of movement amongst the ambush predators, particularly flathead.

Mullet schools will be a great place to find them and if there are smaller schools of bream around the traps, then get your lure in around there. Soft plastics in darker colours throw a better shadow in the dirty water, so I use black or orange colours, as they do

produce a lot of fish in the right conditions. Flathead have a tendency to work higher in the water column when the water is dirty, and it is not unusual for them to come right off the bottom to take a live bait or lure. I like to increase the upwards jigs in dirty water.

Instead of 1-2 lifts, I will go lift, lift, lift, lift, getting it up high in the water and sometimes allowing it to breach the surface and drop back down.

There are still plenty of bream around and if yabbies or live prawns are difficult to come by, then a simple strip of bread will catch them easily enough. The canals are full of them, so there is little reason why you shouldn’t be able to get a feed.

So this holiday period, get into the local fishing tackle store and talk to the staff about what is happening around the area.

Don’t be a follower out on the ocean. If you see a lot of boats in one spot, it doesn’t mean that this is where the fish are. If the fish are not on your sounder, then look around further until you find the bait schools and ultimately the fish.

Elliott Beaver caught this decent archerfish in the North Kennedy River on a recent camping trip up north. The fish was released to fight another day.

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Family fishing fun on the Sunshine Coast NOOSA

Peter Wells

With the school holidays upon us a great way to keep the kids happy is a family fishing trip. Whether it be on a boat, up the beach, or on the rivers, the Sunshine Coast has it all.

With the great weather we have at this time of the year, cooler temperatures make for a great time to go camping, and Noosa’s North Shore is one of the prime spots to do it. With miles of open beaches to fish, and great camping facilities you can really plan an assault on the beach species that make this beautiful place home.

Tailor are high on the hit list as they start to make their northern run, along with dart, bream and whiting. But the species that’s on everyones bucket list is a big jewfish.

MULLOWAY MADNESS Mulloway can be a hard fish to hook as they can be quite a finicky eater, but one of the prime baits that they’ll eat with gusto is a fresh side of mullet. Planning your assault means an incoming tide, fishing at night, large bait, large sinkers and the willingness to be patient.

James McGregor won the $50 Davo’s Fish of the Week prize with this 9kg Spaniard which he trolled up in Laguna Bay on his kayak.

Many a large mulloway has been lost right at the start as these feeders tend to pick up the bait and mouth it until they decide it’s worth eating.

A cool head and a lightly set drag are important when they take the bait, so don’t be afraid to let them run with the bait. Let’s face it there is very little for them to snag you up on when you are fishing the beach, and most large beach reels have good line capacities so let them go and don’t try and

skull drag them in. Playing the fish is the key, let them wear themselves out, as the more tired they are the easier they are to land on the beach.

Whether chasing mulloway or catching bread and butter species with the kids, this is a great time of year to be on the beach.

OFFSHORE The offshore angling is on fire at the moment, and if 2015 is anything like last year the pelagics should hang around for a long time if

the water temperature stays high. In fact some of the best pelagics caught last year were captured around this time of the year. As always, bird activity is one of the greatest indicators of pelagic activity, so make sure you keep a close eye on the horizon for birds. In the absence of birds the reef edges and drop-offs are a perfect places to start.

Trolled diving lures are one of my favourite way to fish, and the Samaki Pacemaker and the River2sea

don’t draw in too many unwanted toothy critters due to over berleying. I like to use a paternoster rig for this style if fishing, and I’ll load the second dropper with a soft plastic. If a fish gets the bait first they often come back and hit the plastic as a follow up. The 5” Z-Man Jerk Shads are one of my favourites for this approach.

If you’re wanting to get hold of some pop into Davos Tackle World to see the range, and chat to the guys in the shop, they’ll happily tell you how to fish them.

UP RIVER It’s a busy time on the river this time of the year, so an early start can make all the difference. Woods Bays in the Noosa River is a great place to head, with a wide variety of species on the chew. Trevally are one of the main stays of the river with a lot of fish taken during the low light periods of the day. Tailor are also high on the hit list, with the bigger tides seeing the bigger fish moving into the river as they chase bait.

The same goes for school mulloway, with the majority being caught around the river mouths. Upriver at night you’ll encounter the

area where there is good water flow. The run-out tide seems to be the best time to target them, with the edges of mud flats a perfect place to start hunting for them.

Prawns are by far one of their favourite foods, so prawn profile soft plastics work great. There are two standout prawn imititions.

The first is the Squidgy prawn, and the second is the Prawnstar. The Squidgy marries up perfectly with a jighead, and when worked across the bottom is dynamite on lizards. The Prawnstar in contrast is more rigid in construction and requires a firmer tipped rod to get the best out of the action of the lure, yet is equally lethal on the lizards.

The bread and butter species are always a favourite with the families and whiting and the start of the winter bream will be plentiful along the banks. Prawns, worms and yabbies will be the best bet for the kids, and will keep dad busy baiting hooks.

• So for all the best advice, the gear you need, and where the fish are biting call into Davo’s Tackle World Noosa or Marcoola’s Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle.

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Torpedo are always the first two over the side. These lures will run at speed and dive to 7m, and if a slower troll is what you are into then a large pilchard or garfish on one of Davo’s Spanish rigs is also worth a go.

While cruising along keep an eye on the sounder as there is some outstanding bottom activity at the moment, with snapper, sweetlip and coral trout all on the chew, and the deeper reefs are holding pearl perch and large snapper.

If fishing bait, then a burley trail is a great way to draw fish in. The best approach when berleying is to put out plenty to begin with, then slow it down.

Doing this will ensure you

Chris ‘Fella’ Arnold from Noosa River Fishing Safaris tempted this 4kg coral trout with a whole pilchard at Sunshine Reef. odd jack, as well as some mulloway and good sized flathead. Flathead are not good swimmers so they tend to position themselves in

catches, fishing reports and bar crossing info at www. fishingnoosa.com.au, and remember tight lines and bent spines.

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47

Wild weather makes fishing tough RAINBOW BEACH

Ed Falconer

With strong winds putting a hold on fishing charters of late, and pretty much all offshore fishing through February off the cards, we have only managed a few fishing trips.

The couple of days that were the exception brought light winds and calm seas, which enabled us to get out and enjoy some very good

fishing. Big catches of snapper, pearl perch, lots of nice parrotfish, and many other good reef fish were in abundance like last year’s summer/autumn fishing.

The mackerel fishing has been less consistent, but there is still plenty of time for them to turn up in bigger schools and provide some good action.

ON THE BEACH I took the kids up the beach toward Inskip Point the other day for a swim and a fish. After pulling some fresh

A nice pearlie caught aboard the Keely Rose. beachworms for their bait, they took advantage of the turning incoming tide and caught a bucketful of nice whiting to take home for dinner. Whiting are the best option to target at the moment, as we are finding the bream and dart are a little on the small side.

This young bloke got stuck into the great fishing at Rainbow Beach with a pair of snapper.

April is one of those months where we are spoilt, with both bottom feeders and pelagics fishing well.

Last April was a great month, with many nice calm days and good fishing throughout, but as the story

so often goes, we just need good weather.

• To enjoy a day on the water with Keely Rose Fishing Charters phone Ed Falconer 0407 146 151 or visit www. keelyrosefishingcharters .com.au.

Bay madness after floods HERVEY BAY

Scott Bradley marlin81@bigpond.com

Another young fisho getting stuck in. My daughter Ruby with a Maori cod.

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After a good drop of rain everything feels rejuvenated on the Fraser Coast. Lush green grass everywhere you look and our waters are full of life after the floods.

ON THE REEF Out wide the southern and northern gutters have produced a wide variety of pelagic and reef species. Parrot, hussar, juvenile snapper, stripey, Moses perch, sweetlip and spangled emperor made up the bulk of the catch on my last trip out there and that was only what the sharks left us.

We fished 24kg braid to its limits and still got bricked

finally getting one back to the boat to confirm it. We were thinking they could be a big cobia. It definitely helps when you’re fighting them and that’s what we chose to believe until we saw one!

School yellowfin, Spanish mackerel and mac tuna have been working the scattered bait out that way and there is nothing nicer than a meal of fresh Spanish or yellowfin. We don’t catch too many yellowfin around Rooneys so it’s always nice to get out wider and pin a few.

At the rate my family eat the stuff I might have to get out that way more often!

FISHING MECCA After a couple of shockers, we finally cracked it for a good trip that worked

southern gutters for some bottom bashing and we managed to extract 9 different species from the sharks, all good table fish up to about 3kg.

The last box to tick was spending the next day trolling for marlin around Rooneys. After a good night’s sleep anchored in close we dropped the gear in and had our first strike within 10 minutes.

We managed a 120cm queenfish, Spanish mackerel, longtail tuna, dirty stinking barracuda and a baby black marlin.

This billy was about 2-3kg, not a big fish but a marlin nonetheless.

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by the sharks at least half a dozen times. They weren’t behaving like sharks either with short runs down deep and plenty of head shakes and as much as we thought they were just sharks it took

out to plan. Starting with a troll around the northern gutters to find some ground, and maybe a yellowfin, we soon found the fish and in no time had 4 yellowfin on ice.

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49

Hervey Bay’s tusky treasure FRASER COAST

Phil James p_j_james@bigpond.com

The eastern shoreline of Fraser Island extends, almost uninterrupted, for over 120km from Hook Point to Sandy Cape.

From here the western beach extends another 60km around Rooney Point then south to Moon Point. The remaining western coast, apart from a few isolated sections is lined with mangroves, creek mouths and tidal flats. Over coming months we will examine the popular eastern beach, section by section, in some detail from a fisher’s perspective.

Most visitors come to the island using the barge service from Inskip Point to Hook Point, so our first stretch of interest will be from the barge landing, around Hook Point and northeast to North Spit.

Of course, most visitors have their minds fixed on the ‘greener pastures’ well up the beach where there are good camping spots, excellent accommodation and (maybe) better fishing opportunities.

For beach driving, this

section can be difficult, particularly on higher stages of the tide. So much so that vehicles sometimes need to use the beach bypass road from the barge landing to one of the beach ramps between North Spit and Dilli Village. Even those who concentrate on those greener pastures must marvel at the great looking features they are passing. Regular Fraser Island visitors know only too well how quickly any of the island beaches can change courtesy of weather, ocean currents and tidal conditions.

Between Hook Point and North Spit, the tidal currents associated with the Wide Bay Bar further enhance these effects.

Being based much further north, my fishing expeditions to the south of the island have been based on both the fishing expectations and suitable tide and beach conditions. This means that fishing time is either over the bottom of the tide, or over the top.

The beach from the barge landing to Hook Point doesn’t always look spectacular, but on a solid ebb tide when the seas become slight, this frequently turns on some of the island’s best

whiting fishing. Just across the channel on the mainland, Inskip Point also fishes well in similar conditions. Although whiting will be taken here throughout the year, the most productive times will be August, September and early October.

Fish will usually bite right through the ebb until the current slackens off. Sea worms or mud worms work well as do yabbies. Between Hook Point and North Spit, there is often a maze of gutters and sand spits, great challenges for the active angler who likes to explore every inch where fish might be gathering.

Flathead in particular like to lie along the dropoffs waiting in ambush.

Whiting and bream are also likely catches. Some of the fastest dart fishing also happens here.

Just inside North Spit, there is usually a deep gutter loaded with big tailor during August and September. To the north of the spit, the beach gradually starts to take on the general character of the eastern coast. However, gutters, spits and holes abound for the available fish to concentrate into.

Campsites are not the

greatest at this end of the island, but Garilum, near the Eleven Mile Beach ramp is very basic but adequate. It should be noted, however, that camping zones are not permanent, with many being closed for regeneration from time to time. Next month, we will tackle the beach from North Spit to Dilli Village.

Inside Hervey Bay, the shallow reefs have continued to perform while anglers chasing pelagics have not been too excited. It has been hit or miss up the inside of Fraser with fairly isolated schools of spotty mackerel, mac tuna and golden trevally.

Out at the 8-mile, keeping a fish on for any length of time has been a rarity thanks to the sharks. You don’t mind losing a fish or two, but this has been ridiculous, particularly with the expensive artificials in mind.

Back to the reefs. In the last few issues we have looked at coral bream (grass sweetlip), blackall and the sea perch family that are common on the inshore reefs.

This month we will look at the tuskfishes, members of genus Choerodon. The highly prized black-spot tuskfish, , locally known as ‘blueys’ are taken on just

A beautifully marked black-spot tuskfish, which was taken in the Hervey Bay region. about all the reefs, with larger specimens usually more common on the deeper ledges and artificial reefs.

It is easily distinguished from other tuskfishes by the presence of a black spot near the rear dorsal fin. This is more prominent in smaller specimens. Larger fish are generally blue while smaller ones display a range of variably bright colours.

Anglers targeting this fish fall into two categories – those who target the 5-20kg fish, and those who like to connect with the smaller fish in the shallows. For the larger fish, lines of up to 50kg are used with whole crabs, preferably alive. While some use blue swimmers and even mud crabs, the other and more easily legal baits

from

are blue-claw and paddler crabs. Most of the anglers who tackle these great fish use handlines and extreme gloves. Even with this sort of gear, once a fish is hooked, it can not be given any opportunity of diving into a cave or around a coral bommie.

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about this fish it is almost mandatory to use rock crabs such as sleepies, runners, and small blue claw. Paddler crabs are easy to collect around Hervey Bay’s beaches but I have had limited success with them.

them, preferably uncooked.

They are tough enough to withstand the pickers and have the advantage of being good for most other reef species as well. I have tried some of the vast array of crab and lobster look-alike

the cooked fillet quite firm and very flaky, not like the fresh ones that tend to be a little soft.

There is one other tuskfish that is common in Hervey Bay. This is the purple tuskfish or grass Garilum

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Being crustacean lovers, blueys will take soldier crabs, yabbies and prawns, but so will all the other reef fish. The trick with using crabs is that they are more likely to stay on the hook long enough. One other bait that is deadly on blueys is the coral prawn, if you can get

Inskip Point

plastics, but no good fortune so far. However, I was put in my place rather swiftly when told that I should have been using scent.

Black-spot tuskfish make excellent table fare, particularly if the fillets have been in the freezer for a while. This makes

Scale 1 KM

parrot, locally known as the greasy, and for good reason.

They are common over all the reefs and not at all fussy about what they eat. The problem is that few make the legal minimum length, but those that do make excellent eating.

The venus tuskfish is rarely encountered on the

reefs of inner Hervey Bay, but they are well known to anglers working further afield. This beautiful pink to orange member of the genus is also a great table fish.

Another that occasionally puts in appearance in Hervey Bay, the blue tuskfish, is very common further north where it is called blue bone.

As a consequence of common and misleading names of fishes, the tuskfish is often referred to as parrot.

Although not too distantly related, the parrots and wrasses make up distinctly different groups.

Legal requirement for all tuskfish are identical. The minimum legal length is 30cm and there is a combined limit of 6 fish. As coral reef fin fish, up to 6 tuskfish can make up the total of 20 permitted. It should be noted that the official fisheries regulations lists parrotfish having a legal length of 25cm. I have heard of anglers who have presented 28cm specimens of purple tuskfish to inspectors, claiming them to be parrotfish. Not a good move!

Next month I will look at estuary cod and coral trout as well as a few more that sometimes make their way into catches. I will also have something to say about some of the not-so-welcome fish of Hervey Bay’s inner reefs.

Very young Montana Rose McKellar-Ahern, aged 3, caught a little trevally on a rod she got for Christmas. She had a lovely day fishing at Togoom with her mum, Angela.

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GOLD COAST (NORTH)

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BRISBANE (SOUTH)

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WHITSUNDAYS

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CAIRNS

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KARUMBA

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MACKAY

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After a red hot summer BUNDABERG

Jason Medcalf topwater@bigpond.com

Finally a little bit of relief after a very long hot summer. I am not one for complaining about the heat, as being a obsessed mangrove jack angler I just love the hot balmy afternoons on the water casting lures sweating from the shins just waiting for a big red fish to come along and smash my lure.

But as it has been such a long hot summer I am kind of looking forward to a bit of temperature relief and some better sleeping nights.

Along with the cooling nights will come a change in behaviour of our local favourite fish species with most fish staying active but the time that they are at their most active will get shorter.

My favourite, the mangrove jack will definitely still be very active during April and as long as the water temperature doesn’t drop dramatically they will bite pretty much all day and tide depending.

When the water temp is very high even jacks will find cooler sanctuary in deeper holes in rivers and creeks. As April will see a little cooling of the water temps, the jacks will move around again right up in the shallows hunting food with the tide day and night.

Of course they won’t be the only species up in the shallows foraging for a tasty crustacean or oily mullet.

Flathead, bream, salmon and barra will all be fair targets this month for lure

the kids’ bedrooms) there will be a few crowds to contend with. Easter on the Burnett River can be a bit chaotic so get in early and don’t be afraid of fishing the shallows over rock and sand. I love fishing early Easter mornings as the sun comes up with a bit of mist

great early morning fishing.

The full moon, which Easter always falls on, means bigger day time tides and smaller night tides, I will be taking advantage of the low tide mid morning and hit any exposed snags searching out for barramundi and mangrove jack. The full

The reward for dragging yourself out of your camp bed before sunrise. on the water firing out a surface lure just waiting for it to be eaten by a fish fooled into thinking my lure is a jumping prawn or a fleeing baitfish, it’s just Easter magic.

moon will give those having a crack at some night fishing a bit more vision although I am more of a sit around the campfire at night sort of guy.

Overall April is a great time to get on the water and

BOWEN

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There’s no better time to be on the water than at daybreak. fishers in our area.

As Easter is a prime time for fishing in Queensland (if you can get out of painting

With an early morning incoming tide over the Easter weekend the tides lend themselves to some

take advantage of a really nice time of the year I hope you enjoy your Easter break stay safe.

APRIL 2015

53

News

Costly mack attack: fishers fined $9,000 Three Gold Coast fishers have learned an expensive lesson after receiving

fines totalling $9,000 for exceeding recreational fishing possession limits.

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A recreational fisher from Redcliffe using the alias ‘Mickey Moo’ has been fined $12,500 for illegally selling seafood on Facebook.

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) district manager Brett Depper said the fisher had been selling mud crabs, sand crabs, prawns and fish on local community buy and sell Facebook pages under the alias ‘Mickey Moo’.

“We received a number of complaints from concerned members of the public after they suspected the advertisements on

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obstructing officers.

The two passengers were fined $2,500 each for exceeding their possession limits.

Mr McDonald said QBFP officers located excess fish in a hidden compartment on board the vessel.

“During the inspection, the skipper continually denied that there was more fish on the boat other than what was in the esky,” he said.

“However, the officers found a hidden compartment underneath a tool box that was accessed by pulling back the carpet and removing a metal plate.

“The fine issued for obstruction serves as an important warning that a person in control of the boat or vehicle must give reasonable help to the officers conducting the inspection.

“If we are to continue to enjoy fishing, everyone must share the resources and abide by the laws.

“Fishers need to familiarise themselves with the size and possession

limits for all of Queensland’s regulated species by checking www.fisheries.qld.gov.au.”

If you suspect illegal fishing, whether seen in person or online, report it to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116. Don’t engage the person,

prioritised based on potential fishery risks, accuracy and reliability with an appropriate response formulated.

For more information on Queensland fishing closures, visit www.fisheries.qld.gov. au, call 13 25 23 or download

The skipper of the vessel was fined $3,000 and the two passengers were fined $2,500 each for exceeding their possession limits. as this can compromise an investigation. All information provided to the hotline will be

the free ‘Qld Fishing’ app from Apple and Google app stores. – QLD Fisheries

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Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) district manager Rob McDonald said the fishers were found in possession of 24 spotted mackerel and 11 Spanish mackerel after a tip-off from a member of the public.

“A possession limit refers to the total number of fish an individual can legally take and have in their possession at any one time—it does not apply on a per day basis,” Mr McDonald said.

“This includes the fish you have caught previously that are in your esky, on your boat or in the freezer at home.

“Spotted mackerel have a possession limit of five and Spanish mackerel have a possession limit of three, which means these three fishers were over their permitted individual limits.”

The skipper of the vessel was fined $3,000 at the Southport Magistrates Court in February for exceeding possession limits and an additional $1,000 for

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Facebook were recreationally caught seafood,” Mr Depper said.

“This led to an extensive two and a half month investigation including monitoring social media, working with Queensland Police and executing a search warrant, to correctly identify the defendant and collect evidence.”

The defendant was charged at the Redcliffe Magistrates Court for a range of offences including: • selling fish without a licence; • falsely claiming to hold a commercial licence; • exceeding possession limits and possessing a female mud crab and undersized mud and blue swimmer crabs.

Mr Depper said taking fish to sell without an appropriate licence is illegal.

“Recreational fishing is for personal enjoyment and consumption only,” he said.

“Black marketing of fish poses a threat to the legitimate seafood market and can pose a threat to food safety.

“It also puts additional pressure on the sustainability of fish species as there is often a cash incentive for black marketers to take more fish than they would if they were fishing for recreational purposes.”

Mr Depper said it is critical that the public reports any suspected illegal fishing activities to Fishwatch so QBFP can establish a pattern of offences and effectively target the culprits.

“The successful conviction of Mickey Moo is in no small part due to the extensive

level of public interaction through the Fishwatch hotline and Fisheries Queensland Facebook page,” he said.

“We would like to thank everyone who reported him to us and assisted us in our investigations.”

If you suspect illegal fishing, whether seen in person or online, report it to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116. Don’t engage the person, as this can compromise

an investigation.

All information provided to the hotline will be prioritised based on potential fishery risks, accuracy and reliability with an appropriate response formulated.

For more information on Queensland’s fishing rules, visit www.fisheries.qld.gov. au, call 13 25 23 or download the free ‘Qld Fishing’ app from Apple and Google app stores. – QLD Fisheries

Fisheries received a number of complaints from concerned members of the public after they suspected the advertisements on Facebook were recreationally caught seafood.

Storms shake up fishing YEPPOON

Scott Lynch ifishcq2@bigpond.com

Those couple of cyclones over the last few months have given us a real shake up with the local fishing in Capricornia. The creeks are just starting to clear and the fishing is coming good right throughout the estuary systems. We should see a great April as the heat of summer has gone and the chill of winter hasn’t begun yet.

This transition period means the summer fish are here and the winter fish are arriving.

There are lots of prawns ranging from jelly prawns to table size in all of the creeks and the river at present. This gets all the fish stirred up a bit inside and out into Keppel Bay. Because of this we continue to have a fine run of reefies in close. Large and small mouth nannygai in particular came into some of the mid bay reef patches on a regular basis.

Forty Acre Paddock, Conical, Outer and Liza Jane are performing well on the lower end of the tide range. Coral trout, sweetlip, cod and tuskies are also on the chew and any of the rubble patches are loaded at present.

Mackerel are on the increase again providing the bay continues to clear after the big weather events this year. Spotties and dogs will be the main attraction as Spaniards usually slow down by now leaving the few resident fish around the islands. The islands out from Emu Park and Keppel Sands fish as well as other places in the local area, plus they are much easier

to get to in most conditions.

Ironpot, Rita Mada and Farnborough Reef are the closest spots to shore from Yeppoon. When conditions are right you can launch tinnies from the beach and you’re out there in about five minutes.

Queenfish are everywhere at the moment from Coorooman Creek north. They are schooling in the mouths and around the headlands near the bigger systems, including Corio Bay and Coorooman Creek. The Harbour outside wall and Ironpot have also had some show of late.

Sandy Point fishing from the beach on the incoming tide is another top spot.

The Keppels have XOS queenies at quite a few of the beaches, especially Wreck Beach where the biggest schools of hardiheads can be found. Corio and Little Corio Heads are a prime spot because small bait schools gather between the bommies and rocky points.

Greenback herrings and hardiheads are two of the best baits you can use, but for the sheer excitement poppers and soft plastics can’t be beat.

This time of year is perfect for estuary night fishing. There are many species that are much more aggressive as the light fades to dark. Mulloway, barramundi and bream are among those perfectly suited predators to target at night. Big barra tend to move into shallower climes to hunt along the mud banks and rock bars of The Fitzroy and the other local systems. Some of the avid barra chasers have set up coloured lights at the back of their boats or they take advantage of the moored boats already using

lights. The lights bring in the baitfish and sooner or later the predator fish show looking for a feed. We have found that vibe lures are the go and will even get a better response than livies. Black or dark lures can change your luck with a number of species at night or on cloudy days because they create an obvious silhouette that can be seen easily against the sky colour from below. The water colour and clarity dictates which colour works the best.

When the water is clean blue lights are the best but when the water is dirty, green seems to be the go.

Barra are going pretty well across the whole area’s estuaries and even in creeks that are not usually ranked for guys targeting barramundi. The whole range of lures from plastics to hardbodies, poppers and vibes are accounting for quality fish. With all the fresh creeks running well, livies such as silver and spotted perch are going off alongside the regular saltwater baits, like prawns and mullet. You can find barra anywhere in nearly any depth in the estuaries as long as there is structure or something to hold bait or provide cover in an ambush situation.

King salmon are on a roll and have not seemed to slow down at all in recent times despite the floods. The bottom end of The Fitzroy Delta from Mackenzie, Port Alma through to Connors, and into the Narrows is an area where it is possible for you to nail a world class king just as easy as a small fish.

I have seen professionals pull king threadfin over 20kg out of their nets in the last couple of years. One

Coby Pascoe with a huge giant trevally that was quickly photographed then released. of the pros told me he has had several threadies way bigger than that up to sizes nobody would believe.

Live pawns set along any of the working banks

serious. Coorooman Creek and Waterpark Creek are the other spots locally where there are reasonable populations of king salmon.

Black jew are starting

Quartz, Corio Heads, The Pinnacles, Cape Manifold and Cape Capricorn should be the hotspots.

It can be common to hook in the vicinity of a

Daniel Mackenzie with a very nice river barra.

Leith Pascoe with a quality Spanish mackerel caught on a Lucky Strike.

is a great option for threadies, although all the most consistent anglers are still using Thready Busters, Transams or Quick Catch plastic vibes for their best results. All the little mud gutters are stacked with prawns and any prawn imitation about the same size will work very well.

My favourite all time is the pumpkinseed Atomic Prong in the smallest size. Even though to the human eye they are almost invisible in the brown river water, they get hammered by almost any fish they go past.

In Rockhampton City the jetty rats are waiting for the barrage gates to close again before they get too

to come on in numbers a little earlier than usual.

They move into the coastal jew holes and pinnacle and are in quantity right through the cooler months.

Most of the better spots are within easy reach of local boat ramps or beach launch areas so even the little boat guys can get a crack at them.

Most of our black jew are caught at night although The Stanage Bay Jew Hole, and a few spots inside the mouth of the river, can produce the odd fish during the day. All the regular jew holes will fire up about four days before the full moon to four days after.

Ironpot, Double Heads,

dozen black jew in the short period nearing top of the tide. When the moon first peaks over the horizon they turn on like a switch.

Fresh bait is always the best option and local stuff is at the top. Bonito fillets, yellowtail scad and local squid all work a treat; pillies and a box of frozen squid are a great standby if you don’t have the others.

Next month we will cover it a bit more including gear and locating the spots.

Grunter, bream, mangrove jack and trevally are other species that will be on the menu for the coming month and are all making a strong charge at present.

APRIL 2015

55

Low rain, high catches MACKAY

Keith Day habdays@bigpond.net.au

What a weird year weather wise, as I put this report together we have had cyclone Marcia smash its way across the Rockhampton area to our south but it did not bring any substantial rain to the Mackay area. Despite a promising start to the year, so far our rainfall is down on average. At least the fishing has remained red hot to date.

Barra naturally are still the main course and the good bite has continued on well into March and should stay with us until around the end of April.

Barra to over 120cm have been a big feature of the saltwater fishing for this summer and after good breeding conditions earlier in the season the latter parts of this year should see bumper catches as well.

By the end of April I expect that the bite will start to taper off as the weather changes start to happen.

Traditionally the end of April and early May see the cooler weather start and after the very hot and humid summer everyone looks forward to the more pleasant weather. The extra bonus is more fishing time in Mackay as the lawns slow down and we can get out of the ritual of every weekend having to do the lawn!

As the weather starts to cool, the barra will start to look for those places where

there is a bit warmer water, and that is one of the keys to finding them. Surface temperatures in a creek system can vary anything up to 4-5ºC so if you can find the warmer water, and other conditions suit, then you will find old pink eyes. Good places to look for them are around rocks that get covered near high tide as the rocks retain heat from the sun and the barra like their bit of pre-heated water. Exposed sand bars can also work the same way.

Bait of course is the main key to success as barra don’t hang around where there is no bait. Keeping an eye out for prawns flicking in the shallows or some nervous mullet, gar, and similar will give an indication that there could be barra about. It goes without saying that a well presented live bait in these areas is a fair bet to get smashed.

During April check out the rocky areas around the mouth of Constant Creek for barra and further north many of the creeks in the Seaforth/ St Helens areas have small rock bars, isolated rocks or rubble areas that are worth prospecting for barra. The plastic prawn revolution continues with these realistic imitations accounting for many barra and when they can be rigged weedless they can be cast into some heavy cover with relative impunity.

Other rocky spots worth a visit during the latter part of March and April include the

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rocky areas around the Ron Camm bridge over the Pioneer River right in North Mackay.

These spots are almost dry at low tide so you need to work the tides to suit. The rocks can be accessed on foot but to fish right under the bridges and among the pylons and other rubble a boat is needed, but take care on the run upstream from the boat ramp as there are numerous shallow areas and a couple of lone rocks that have claimed many a prop.

Further south the creeks around Sarina and Koumala have been fishing well with Rocky Dam Creek producing plenty of good barra. The creeks in the Cape National Park are also worth a try but be watchful of the weather as it is easy to get caught. A mate who works at Hay Point tells me of late he has been spotting some very healthy barra around the jetty but unfortunately fishing is not allowed here.

Jacks and grunter have been the other two most prolific species in our creek systems and they will continue to be a target during April.

There has been literally millions of words in articles about the ‘how-to’ of jack fishing and my advice is to find the heaviest gnarly cover and snags you can and chances are there will be a jack in it.

That’s the easy part! Here is the place for those weedless prawn lures to be used to good effect as they can be lobbed right into the heavy stuff and worked in the face of the jack.

Hits are common, but landing them from such places is not.

Alan Rippon recently tried his hand at Teemburra dam and caught this well muscled sooty on a spinnerbait worked among the standing timber. low tide don’t have any water anywhere near the snags or rocks and the jacks don’t seem to favour those systems at all.

Jacks are also a live bait or strip bait target and provided the offering is close enough they will have a crack.

The grunter by comparison are a clean water fish that is not found usually among heavy snags. They revel in open water that has rubble or gravel on the bottom where they can forage for small crabs and such like. Grunter are common up to about 60cm

has hooked a much larger fish than the reality. They are great fun and their fillets are among the sweetest tasting fish in the ocean.

Grunter, or javelin fish, are mainly caught on bait and will smack a live prawn, small baitfish or a strip bait, and butterflied herring are a great bait for these fish. Keep the rig simple with a running sinker and a 500mm or so leader to a super sharp hook and you will be in business. The key to grunter fishing is the bottom formation, so check around

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A silver salty barra caught up in the shallows in the background. Anglers can expect fish of this calibre through to at least the end of April.

Jacks are in all our creek systems but look for spots that still have some cover at low tide. Many of our creeks at

in the creeks and the first run when hooked is usually a blistering blast off, sometimes that has the angler thinking he

on the really low tides for gravel and rubble and revisit these places as the tide gets over them.

Moving up into the freshwater, the big news is the successful spawning of about 100,000 sooty grunter in MAFSA’s hatchery. Kieron Galletly runs the hatchery and is stoked with the result so far and fingers-crossed there will be no mishaps and these fish will be released into our three dams. MAFSA members had a small display at the annual ‘Take a Kid Fishing’ day at Shoal Point run by the Mackay Rec Anglers Alliance and everyone was very positive seeing the 10mm long sooties in the aquarium.

The kids (and adults) were also impressed with the size of the adult male sooty in the transport tank.

Some of these baby sooties will be held over in MAFSA’s hatchery until early May and they will be released as part of the 10th World Sooty Championship event at Eungella dam on 2-3rd May weekend. The event is always well supported and is MAFSA’s main fundraiser for the year with all profits being ploughed back into our freshwater fisheries in Mackay.

This year nominate online and get in early as there is a limit of 120 anglers. Check out MAFSA on Facebook page for the opening of nominations which this year will be $70 Open and $25 Junior. Once open, to nominate go to: https://register.eventarc. com/29313/world-sootychampionship.

As always, Mackay anglers enjoy a wonderful diversified fishery ranging from the outer Barrier Reef to little jungle clad creeks where sooties reign supreme, so why not come up to Paradise and enjoy the variety. See you at the ramp.

Still standing at Stanage STANAGE BAY

Von Ireland

The past month has seen the locals express a huge sigh a relief with cyclone Marcia coming close but thankfully giving us a wide berth when it came to damage and destruction.

Thank you to all who phoned and emailed to express their best wishes and thoughts during the cyclone it was both heart warming and humbling. Our thoughts of course go out to Shoalwater Bay, Millman, The Caves, Yeppoon, and Rockhampton who unfortunately weren’t so lucky and sustained much

damage. We wish them all the best for a speedy recovery.

For the Stanage Bay township it was minimal damage with the Stanage Road creek crossings awash with water for a period of time, once it receded we were left with a few washouts, potholes

Stanage Bay offers a host of angling opportunities such as this rare barramundi cod. and some corrugation on the roads. It’s nothing a few road repairs won’t fix though.

On the fishing front it’s been happy days for anglers with mudcrabs, barra, and fingermark all on the chew. The islands and the reefs have also been producing with red emperor, grassy sweetlip, red throat sweetlip, mackerel, trevally, coral trout and even a protected

Another solid red emperor hits the deck.

barramundi cod rewarding anglers for their efforts. As usual the three Ps, patience, persistance, and passion, apply when it comes to the best catches.

King tides will test anglers over the next few weeks, as they usually do this time of the year at Stanage Bay, and will make for challenging conditions and angling opportunities.

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57

Red hot on the reef WHITSUNDAYS

Luke Griffiths

It has been a mixed bag as far as the weather goes over the last month with some beautiful days and some absolute shockers.

While it is always great to have calm weather and clear skies, don’t be disheartened by those not-so beautiful days.

There are still a lot of options on offer in close, with some nice fish to be caught.

Some of these ugly days have forced us to fish in close around the Whitsunday Islands, producing some really nice fish. Your main target in these picturesque locations would be coral trout, sweetlip, nannygai and Spanish mackerel.

Look out for the coral bommies and fringing reefs that pop up along the edges of the islands.

Try anchoring up current of the bommie or reef, on the pressure side (where the current is pushing into the bommie or reef) and fish your baits into the structure. Live, flesh, squid and pilchard baits rigged on a running ball sinker straight down to your hook will usually produce some delicious coral trout as well as a variety of other delectable reef species.

These ‘pressure points’ I speak of hold a lot of bait fish, which is why these predatory fish are hanging

Left: Steve on his first ever fishing trip holding a red emperor fooled by a live bait. Right: Ben with a bar-cheeked coral trout pulled out of the pressure side of a reef bommie. around, including pelagics such as Spanish mackerel.

Live baiting under a balloon while bottom fishing these bommies and reefs has been producing some nice mackerel. Live fusilier is our go-to bait for these aggressive hunters, with just the single hook rigged with a few inches of wire. These fusilier can be found all over these reefs, and using a bait jig will bag you a few of these colourful treats.

Speaking of Spanish mackerel, on the days we have been able to head wide we have seen some

massive numbers of these speedsters, which is a good indication we are going to

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Skipper Luke holding a coral trout, lured out of his cave with a pilchard rigged on a running ball rig, fished into a ‘pressure point’.

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(good problem to have, I suppose!) Switching to some slugs and jigs rigged with wire dropped and retrieved fast through these schools will land a few.

So keep an eye out for the tell tale signs of mackerel lurking around, as the numbers should continue and maybe even increase this month.

When we do get our baits down to the bottom we have been landing some nice red emperor. This fish is a very sought-after catch, due to their awesome fight and their 5 star table rating.

We have the most success fishing the rubbly patches and small ledges just wide of reefs and other structure, in the 30-60m ranges.

Paternoster rigs are used here. When you are fishing these areas, if you start catching small hussar you are generally in the zone to catch a red, as these brutes love to eat them. Although, if you aren’t catching hussar, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Rigging hussar live usually works a treat

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This Spanish mackerel couldn’t help itself falling to a metal slug rigged with a PEtackle Reefmaster single hook, retrieved at high speed by Ben.

for us, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Have some lines baited with flesh baits and try to keep the tail on your flesh fillet offering as this will bring better luck. Also, when fishing the flesh baits a technique we use and have great success on, is to rig the flesh bait on a saltwater ‘fly’. The PEtackle flies have been

working well on these reds as well as a lot of other species. Have a few of these flies in your arsenal.

The old humble squid and pilchard also shouldn’t be discounted either so have some of that down there as well. After all, there is plenty of other species down there that are very welcome in the esky. Preparing your esky

for these reds after they have been caught and looking after them is just as important as the catching of them. A bit of love for your catch can go a long way to ensuring you get the absolute best taste out of these fish.

Once caught and your heart rate reduces below 2000 beats per minute, bleeding of the fish is

Skipper Luke showing the business end of a Spanish mackerel caught floating a live bait under a balloon.

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Alyce is looking very proud of her fresh and saltwater fly combo caught red emperor.

important. So make sure you do it properly and as fast and humanely as possible for the fish. Have a nice cold ice slurry going in your esky to put your fish in well before catching them. A good ice slurry is a mix of ice and saltwater, without too much water. It is very important to use saltwater and not freshwater as freshwater will affect the taste and texture of the fish.

Once bled, place your fish straight into the slurry, making sure the fish is totally immersed. This technique will ensure you get the best out of your hardearned catch. However, it doesn’t stop there, the next process is also important.

When filleting the fish, ensure you wash the fish in saltwater. As previously mentioned, freshwater will affect the taste and texture; try it with an off cut. Wash one piece in the salt water and one in the fresh, you will notice the difference.

This is a general rule for most seafood. Hopefully this will help you get the most out of your catch.

Be safe out on the water, and remember there is always an option to go fishing in this beautiful area of the Whitsundays that we are so lucky to call home.

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59

Lady Luck on Col’s side AYR

Steve Farmer

No wet season and the resultant lack of a decent fresh in the river has ensured the Burdekin barra season got off to a quiet start this year.

Most anglers who have tried for a barramundi since the season opened — and there were plenty — reported a reasonable scattering of small fish, but few keepers. And the much sought-after ‘metreys’ were few and far between.

From memory, I think last year threw up the same conditions, with a small fresh late in the season being the best the weather gods could manage. If the wet hasn’t eventuated by the time you’re reading this, then future barramundi numbers will be suffering with 2 dry years in a row.

But enough of the doom and gloom.

Col Casalegno was one Burdekin angler who managed to get the year off to a better start than most.

Fishing Wallaces Creek with son Brodyn, Col said that bait was hard to find. However, after plenty of hard work with the cast net, they eventually

had enough large mullet to start fishing.

Col said they were fishing the narrow upper reaches of a creek at a spot where a fallen mangrove tree jutted from the muddy bank into midstream — a classic hotspot for jacks and barra.

With baits set, they sat back to swelter it out in the summer heat. Col reckons luck played a fair part in what was to happen over the next few minutes. When his line screamed off, it took only seconds for the unseen fish to bury itself in the midstream section of the snag. Col had no chance of stopping it.

Realising the fish had the upper hand, Col mentally wrote it off almost immediately.

However, Lady Luck was on his side and the line stayed taut as the fish thrashed about in the snag, eventually lifting its head and gaping bucket mouth to reveal its identity.

Col was using a 23kg leader, which no doubt saved him as the barra annihilated the snag.

And then it suddenly swam free! He could hardly believe his luck…

Exhausted from its time thrashing about in the timber, the barra was almost spent and Col soon brought it to the boat.

The tape measure revealed 90cm of lean, mean saltwater barra. Col was one happy — and lucky — man.

Apart from the dedicated barra fishers, the prolonged stifling heat we’ve been suffering has put many anglers off wetting a line lately. Those that have been trying their luck simply tolerate the conditions or fish during the cooler night or early morning hours. They have reported mangrove jacks, flathead and grunter are making up most of the estuarine catches. As reported last month, fingermark are also still being taken in Burdekin estuaries and inshore waters, probably because of the lack of significant flooding.

Above average numbers of queenfish and trevally have also been caught in some estuaries, especially over the sandflats close to the mouths of the creeks.

Bluewater sportfishers have enjoyed exciting action on the inshore shoals, with queenfish, trevally, cobia and the occasional Spanish mackerel snapping up floating pillies, bottom baits and trolled lures.

APRIL CHANGEOVER April is always a most welcome month.

The temperatures are nudging

Col Casalegno teamed up with Lady Luck to land this 90cm barra on a large live mullet. downwards, the weather is stabilising and the fishing can be a mixed bag of summer and winter species. It’s a time of year when North Queensland anglers can enjoy the best of both summer and winter estuary and bluewater fishing.

The old stalwarts of mangrove jack and barramundi should still be on the chew in the estuaries and, if we’ve had a dry summer, you might even find a few golden snapper about.

The first of the winter species should also be working their way along our

coast. Whiting and flathead numbers should increase, while salmon will be hanging around for a while to enjoy the cooler waters.

During April, bluewater fishers will be on the lookout for the first of the Spanish mackerel schools around the shoals and inshore waters.

Sportfishers can also count on other pelagics such as cobia, queenfish and trevally around the Alva Shoals and Camp Island, and along the rocky shoreline of Cape Upstart.

With Easter being early in April this year, there’s a

fair chance many readers will have packed this month’s QFM with their camping gear for the Easter getaway.

What better way to enjoy a 4-day break than catching a few fish during the day and then laying back and reading about it around the campfire at night. Wherever you’re spending Easter, whether it’s at some new, far-flung hotspot, or in familiar, reliable waters in your home territory, I hope you catch a feed of fish and just have a fun time in the great outdoors with family and friends.

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Northern exposure TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

I think Mother Mature has a sick sense of humour, and even though the barra have been chewing their heads off the weather has been horrible, and from reports it is expected to stay that way for some time.

BARRA FEVER The barra have been active of late with a lot of fish sitting on the headlands and in the river mouths waiting for the rain so they

can push back into the fresh to feed and grow fat. They haven’t been easy to catch though with anglers needing the weather gods to shine upon them to simply be able to fish these locations. It hasn’t really panned out this way though with plenty of days gusting above 20 knots and the word uncomfortable doesn’t comes close to describing how challenging it can be to fish these areas.

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and hop a soft vibe down deep. The approach will not only see you catch barra but also threadfin salmon.

Further up the rivers there have been reasonable numbers of fish, mainly in the deeper holes, with an hour either side of the high tide being the most productive time. Don’t dismiss the mangroves, as bait will disperse into the flooded vegetation on the top of the tide, then will be flushed back out on the run-out tide, and it’s here on the fringes of the mangroves that the predators will be waiting for an easy feed.

Barra and mangrove jack are the two prime species to catch in these location, but are by no means the only species that you’re likely to encounter. These mangrove areas regularly feature fallen timber, and these snags will often require a dozen or so casts to be made before a fish will be tempted to bite. So be persistent if a spot looks good, because there’s a good chance that there will be a fish in there.

GETTING FRESH Up in the fresh there have been some nice fish being caught. Suspending hardbodies and lightly weighted plastics are catching fish. Of the freshwater barra lakes, Peter Faust Dam has been fishing well of late. One report I heard of recently illustrates perfectly just how well it’s fishing, with an unnamed

Overnight stays call for a good breakfast. Many miles offshore you couldn’t ask for a better view as bacon, snags and eggs sizzle away between bites. missed opportunities, from a string of fish, the bulk of which were over a metre, then it becomes a fishing session that’s more like the extraordinary than the ordinary.

If you’re chasing the latest information on Peter Faust Dam and how it’s fishing then call into Akwa Marine on the highway at Proserpine and chat to Lindsay Dobe. Lindsay has been a guide on the dam for many years and is by far the most successful and consistent fisherman that fishes the lake. There’s not much that he doesn’t know about the place and he’ll happily steer you in the right direction for your next

been good with plenty of fishing being caught. Most fish have been in the 45-55cm size range, and regretfully, unless caught in less than 10m of water, aren’t a viable catch and release species due to barotrauma.

This slow growing species is a great table fish, but if you hit an active school just have a think about how many you decide to take home. Just remember the minimum size limit is 35cm, and the maximum bag limit is five fish per person. Trolling deep diving Scorpion 150s slowly along rubbly ledges has been the gun technique for catching the larger fish.

I’m not sure why, but you don’t hear of too many angler

were never possible before.

Downrigging hardbodies is nothing new to a many southern snapper anglers, and I believe is a technique that could be used on many northern species, including fingermark.

IN THE RIVERS The real surprise packet at the moment is the fishing in the rivers. Fishing with live prawns has been a gun technique, with quality sized fingermark nailing prawns at night in water as shallow as 2m. Prawn imitation lures have been working during the day, with my biggest fingermark to date measuring 62cm, while several smaller fish have made me look foolish and dusted me up

When something like this comes over the horizon head for home really quickly.

It’s storm season and scuds like this can pop up anytime. angler, and friend, getting 20 bites in a night. Now to a lot of fishers20 bites doesn’t seem like a lot, but when you consider that every one was a definite barra, and included bust offs, landed fish, and 62

APRIL 2015

trip to Faust.

OFFSHORE TALK For offshore lure anglers golden snapper have been playing the game, and while no trophy sized fish are being reported the numbers have

using downriggers for trolling hardbodies in that 20m+ mark. It’s surprising because it’s a proven technique for many species, and it can open a window to fishing lures in locations and at depths that

in the snags. In water 6-7m deep I’ve been fishing the large Atomic Prong rigged on a 1/3oz Seeker jighead, and casting it up current, then hopping it back towards the boat, bouncing it over

structure and drop-offs.

It’s a simply, yet effective technique that has seen me catch plenty of fish.

I’ve been testing the new Chronarch 200E7 reel recently, and being a baitcaster fan have found this reel perfect for long cast applications and when you need to cover large amounts of water. This capability allows you to stay away from the fish, not sit over them, ensuring better lure presentation and a more stealthy approach. This long cast style of fishing is generally the domain of spin tackle, but with the new Chronach it opens it up to the baitcaster realm.

For this style of fishing I spooled the reel with 30lb Unitika PE, a fine yet incredibly tough PE, and matched it to a quality fluorocarbon leader. A 1.5-2m long leader is ideal, and depending on your choice of leader knot can be wound through the rod guides and onto the reel in most instances. The size and profile of the knot however can provide some challenges when casting so it’s best to experiment with leader knots, lengths and breaking strains.

Casting hard bodies around horizontal timber in the upper reaches of the rivers and drains is a sure fire way to hit some jack action at

the moment. Anglers should find clearer water, and the best fishing conditions on the neap tides, and when the wind is low. Twitching a Halco Laser Pro 120 around the snags the other day I managed to land five jacks and three barra, with the key to getting them to bite being a super slow retrieve. The deeper bibbed version of the Laser Pro is also handy for this style of fishing, with its exceptional castability allowing you to make sharp, flat, accurate casts without fear of the lift drifting of

target mid cast.

OFFSHORE Reef species have been the domain of the bigger boats, and the guys from Hammer Time who regularly head to the outer reef have reported great catches of red throat emperor and coral trout. The beautifully crafted 8m Hammer Head vessel that the guys at Hammer Time had made a couple of years ago is incredibly fast, covers distance with ease, even in the worse sea weather conditions, and on a good day will 100k and faster. This allows you

Long casts are often necessary, but unachievable with inferior gear. The Chronarch 200E7 is a great casting tool for shallow plastic presentations.

Brian Stephenson with a shortened coral trout from one of their offshore locations.

to get you fishing location in minimum time and with maximum comfort. If you are interested in buying a new boat, or even just checking out the new hull designs from Hammer Head boats, jump onto their web.

There are still small pockets of mackerel being caught on the shallow reefs and wrecks, with places such as, Bunnings, Bomber, Bay and Burdekin Rocks all producing reasonable sized fish. There are still some nice cobia getting around, with

the average being around 8-10kg, and while not big fish they are a great eating size and go hard when hooked. You may need to upsize line to get them in the boat though, as the sharks are once again eating plenty of fish on their way to the top.

Speaking to a regular offshore angler the other day, they were tell me of their experience and frustration in hitting a hot bite of red emperor, yet they never but one in the boat due them all getting eaten by sharks.

It’s worth moving several kilometres if this happens as the sharks seem to hone back in on you fairly quickly if you only make a short move. The sharks are actually becoming ridiculous in numbers, and hopefully the new research program that is about to commence in Townsville will provide some clarity to the thinking and beliefs on declining shark numbers.

Well that’s it from TNQ, happy fishing, enjoy your time on the water and see you next month.

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63

Time flies when you’re hooked-up!

LUCINDA

Jeff Wilton jeffwilton83@hotmail.com

The year is flying by as it’s April already. It’s a great time of year in the far north and Lucinda should be on fire, offering the full species list for anglers to chase.

Last month we were yet to get any really solid rain and fingers are crossed that we get a late wet season.

It’s a simple equation – the more of it we get, the better it will be, as it will mean more flood waters, bigger flush outs of the catchments

and insane fishing will follow not only for 2015 but for the next few years at least. Rain brings life.

HINCHINBROOK CHANNEL Barra in the 60-75cm range have been about in good numbers. Fish in this size will normally be found in schools, which will move around together feeding.

Hitting the drains on the outgoing tide using shallow running lures such as Gold Bombers or lightly weighted plastics such as Berkley Ripple Shads or Z-Man 4” SwimmerZ will see chrome getting airborne!

The same flats can

also fish really well on the incoming tide as the barra and jacks will use the drains like highways, which allow them to chase baitfish into the mangroves and also escape predators themselves.

Plenty of fish are falling to live mullet fished in creek mouths, especially in the evening hours as the mozzies start getting hungry.

Mangrove jacks captures have also been improving over the last few months.

Best catches have come from way up in the skinny waters of the creeks, being adventurous and pushing way up into the mud, mangroves and mozzies should pay off.

Fresh fillets of mullet or pilchards fished un-weighted and allowed to slowly waft into the snags with the current

the majority of the time.

Once again, working deeper diving lures or plastics rigged weedless and bumping them over the snags will get some attention. Leader needs to be tough and drags should be screwed up tight. By-catch when chasing jacks will be estuary cod, golden snapper (fingermark), bream, grunter and the humble bream.

Grunter have showed up in good numbers in the channel proper. Rubbly bottom in the 6-10m depth range is a good spot to drop an anchor and fish an incoming tide using live herring, prawn or squid. Grunter are an awesome sports fish and offer delicious eating. Mouths of creeks are also an awesome spot to fish as the tide starts to push in. If you are finding

Barra are always worth putting in some time for and some quality barra will come aboard this month.

JETTY, ISLANDS AND REEFS Fingermark have been biting well along the sugar loader jetty and out towards the Palm Islands on the isolated rubble grounds.

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Gulp munching golden snapper like this will really test your gear to its limits. will get smashed, so hang on. Leave the light gear at home as jacks will destroy you in these circumstances

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Dogtooth tuna are loads and loads of fun… in a painful way. grunter mouth the bait before swallowing. You should also keep hook sizes to about a 3/0 as they have smaller mouths.

on fingers and are best fished using a running sinker rig. If good shows are found on your sounder, it is a great

time to drop plastics such as Berkley Gulp 7”Jerkshads, Squid Vicious or Nemesis as they are proven fingermark lollies. Vibes such as TT Switchblades have also proven themselves as finger smackers.

It seems like a year since I have gotten to the reef.

The weather has not been kind with only a few small windows of opportunity, and between family and work commitments these days it is difficult to head for the deep blue. Talking to a few lucky fishos that got out recently revealed that good numbers of solid nannygai with the odd emperor are available in the deep 60m+ waters.

Trout have been on the bite, especially around tide changes in the afternoon and using fresh bait will improve your chances. The right spot and some luck helps, as if the sharks are hungry you will spend more time moving spots then you will actually fishing. If I have learnt one thing about escaping sharks it’s that a move of a few kilometres will not help you as they seem to follow you like puppy dogs.

Out wide off the shelf, there were some amazing captures of XXL blacks and also dogtooth tuna. Plenty of mahimahi and green jobfish have also been stacked in massive numbers and provide hours of fun as they munch anything you can get down to them.

Amazing schools of small to mid-size yellowfin tuna offer anglers the chance to throw surface poppers and slugs into mayhem and then the fun begins, as these fish are like rockets.

Lighter gear is extremely fun but make sure you have plenty of braid on the reel or you may be left with your pants down. I must add that small yellowfin are like jellybeans to dogtooth tuna and we witnessed a 50kg+ doggie munching through a school. This fish is etched into my brain and looked like a submarine missile screaming through the water. Jigging that day had me hanging onto the rod tighter than ever before and I even thought of tying myself to the boat… just in case!

Hotting up for autumn HINCHINBROOK

Ryan Moody www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com

Hinchinbrook has delivered for anglers over the last few months.Quality fishing, isinshore and offshore, set to continue as we head towards the cooler months.

IN THE ESTUARIES The estuaries have fished well for barramundi, although a lot of fish have shown a preference for live baits over lures and jigs. Some anglers are saying that the smaller size fish are not as prolific as recent years, but maybe that’s a consequence of failed wet seasons. If we get some late rains we could see some fish flushed from the lagoons and a

couple of months later we may see an influx of three year old fish populating our waterways.

Fingers-crossed that scenario plays out the way we want to.

Hopefully we get a late cyclone or low that’ll deliver the rain that we’re looking for. There of course is nothing wrong with the numbers of large barra though, as many of my clients confirm with their big smiles.

We have had some absolute stonkers in the boat this year for clients, and I’m hoping the trend continues.

Golden snapper have been rather aggressive the last couple of months, with all their usual haunts like wrecks, headlands and rubble and rock bottoms all producing fish. Soft vibes are a very effective way of targeting fingermark, and are

Dave McKenzie - Gamakatsu Pro Angler

Carl with one of 3 barra over 90cm he caught on board with the author.

accounting for a lot of fish.

We must remember to fish sustainably as this species could one day become over-fished if anglers start taking more than their share.

With that point in mind it’s probably a good time to acknowledge the forward thinking of the Northern Territory Government and their introduction of tighter regulations on fingermark and black jewfish. More sustainable regulations can only be a good thing for the stocks of the two popular recreational species.

Grunter and salmon have also been around in good numbers with the blue or Cooktown salmon being almost plague-like at times. Fish the shallow drop-offs on the flats on a large tide and you’ll find yourself plenty of these fish.

Small mullet, and herring on a running or dropper rig are doing the trick on these guys.

Grunter have been fishing well on live prawns and greenback herring. While we’re talking about prawns, this year has been a great season for them, especially on the beaches.

The abundance of prawns is puzzling considering the little amount of rain that we’ve had, and the fact that you generally need good rain to get a good run of prawns. For anglers

Ben McMahon with his first 1m+ fish at 102cm. chasing grunter the Gould Island area has been producing good fish, but best results have come from the main channel, particularly straight out the front of Cardwell on the mud and shellbeds.

APRIL RULES Fishing in April should be great and would have to be one of my favourite months of the year. Having said that I certainly hope that it lives up to my expectations and past years. April of course marks the end of the freshwater run-off, and it’s when things start to get back to normal.

When it happens will depend on whether we get any late rain. The smaller barra that aggregate in the gutters and drains should start to increase in numbers, while the big girls mixed in with them are always

a charter we are unfortunately booked out for 2015 but you can secure a good date for 2016 if you get in before they all get snapped up. I will be taking less charters in 2016 as we will be concentrating on building our e-courses side of the business. Don’t despair though because we will have another well-trained guide working a second boat to assist me with the workload. Keep an eye out in the coming months for our threadfin salmon and wonky hole e-courses. Cheers and keep your reels screamin’.

• If you would like to book a charter or join our fishing community for some great fishing competitions etc, head on over to www. ryanmoodyfishing.com. And you could also win a free charter drawn twice a year.

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a welcome capture and photo opportunity. The big girls of course get released to swim another day.

April will also see an improvement in the reef fishing as we start to get away from the hot days and the northerly influence. Coral trout will start to move shallow as the water temperature starts to drop, and should start to become aggressive on the making tides before the moons.

Pilchards would have to be one of the best baits for these tasty critters. Spaniards may also start to appear inshore towards the end of April. Eva Island and the family group would be a good place to start looking, particularly where the current touches the headlands or isolated structure.

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APRIL 2015

65

Easter for family fishing CAIRNS

Garry Smith garrysmith@fishingmonthly.com.au

The fishing has been pretty good for early autumn, not that anyone noticed the change of season in the north. It has continued hot and hotter, with a bearable spell backed up by searing heat, followed by downpours. In other words, typical wet season activity.

Since the start of the year there have been extended periods of calm weather, which has permitted plenty of offshore fishing, and the results have varied from excellent to why bother?

Barra and golden snapper have been the main players in the estuaries, along the headlands, and around the wrecks and inshore islands.

At the reef, trout have been about in good numbers and quality, with a sprinkling of large mouth nannygai, red emperor, reef red bream and spangled emperor. Mackerel have remained surprisingly plentiful around inshore wrecks and at the reef too.

The iconic whole pilchard, drifted or floated, has accounted for a major share of the spoils.

The first weekend in April is marked by the Easter long weekend, which is followed by the school holidays, so there will be plenty of activity on and around the water in the first half of this month. A lot of families with minimal fishing experience will be trying to catch a feed, so I will focus this month’s column on that group of anglers.

Basically, there are 2 plans of attack for April, depending on the prevailing conditions. It will either be flooding, which is common over the Easter break, or the streams and inshore areas will have clear water conditions. If you arrive at the Easter holidays and Huey has dished up another wet break, then focusing your fishing around the river mouths, Cairns Inlet, the hospital flats, the beaches, and Palm Cove Jetty will still get you on or around the water with a chance of a bit of action.

The key to taking kids fishing, and this applies anywhere, is lots of action.

Catching bait often turns out to be the highlight of the fishing trip for many. A cast net and a yabby pump are 2 great investments for

kids’ fishing. If you aren’t an accomplished cast netter, then stick to the smaller drop nets of 6-7’, with pockets. Leave large drop nets and draw-sting nets to the experts. If you haven’t thrown a net for a while or are just learning, put in a few practice sessions on the lawn before the outing. There is nothing more frustrating for parents and kids than to get to the water and not be able to cast the net effectively.

You can Google up hundreds of YouTube videos on how to throw a cast net. For north Queensland conditions, by far the best methods are with hands only.

They are quick, easy, don’t wet your shoulder, and most importantly only your hands come in contact with the net, thereby minimise the chance of an accidental sting from a box jellyfish or Irukandji. I have been casting nets in the north for over 35 years and have never been stung.

Keep a few good baits alive and put the rest in the esky. The livies have a dual function — adults can have a live bait out for that trophy fish and the kids can play with them while they wait for a bite. Prawns are great kids’ bait — if you can

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Golden snapper, like this trophy specimen caught by David Mayes, have been the main players in the estuaries, along the headlands and around the wrecks and inshore islands. locate them — as almost everything in the ocean will eat one. The mouths of small drains on the last 2 hours of the runout tide is the best time and location to nail a few prawns.

A yabby pump is an even better investment than a cast net, as the kids can get down and dirty, with lots of little creatures to play with.

Make sure you are well (over 5m) back from the water’s edge and always face the water — just in case. The north side of the mouth of the Barron River always has yabby banks, as does the sandbar in the middle, just inside the mouth if you have a boat. There are also banks at the mouth of Half Moon Bay Creek and most significant streams for that matter. There are also sparse yabby banks in the southern corner of Kewarra Beach.

Yabby banks wax and wane, so a reconnaissance

expect catfish and stingrays to be plentiful as well.

If the area is in flood, then the beaches, Trinity Inlet and Palm Cove Jetty are still an option. Prawns and yabbies are the best kids’ bait and if you can’t catch your own prawns, then buy a packet from your local tackle store. Squid and pilchards are the next best bet. Keep the baits small and the tackle light, so there is plenty of action and the kids won’t be scared off by hooking a monster and having the rod stripped from their hands.

Light line will part quickly on a big fish. Use mono, not braid, for kids.

Braid will cut fingers and tangles too readily for inexperienced anglers. Some 4-6kg mono is ideal. Weights and swivels should be as light as possible and used with a running sinker rig, with hooks in the 4-2/0 range.

Long shank hooks are best

baits will cover all options.

Prawns should be running just after the floods, so have the cast net ready for action.

Crabs should be on the move, especially during flooding, and the big tides around the full and new moons.

Reef fishos will be keen to take advantage of any calm periods, and here’s hoping the quality catches of trout continue and are backed up by bigger numbers of large mouth nannygai and red emperor. Spanish mackerel have hung around right through the normally quiet summer period, so let’s hope their numbers increase as the water cools.

Sharks have continued to be a real problem at the reef, even during the day. From all reports, this is a problem all the way along the Queensland coast. A professor from James Cook University, who I heard interviewed on ABC Far North recently, has been

Spanish mackerel such as this beauty caught by John Wedrat have remained surprisingly plentiful around inshore wrecks and out at the reef. trip prior to taking the kids is time well spent. Try about an hour before the bottom of the tide, and fishing the area where you caught the yabbies as the tide floods is a very productive plan of action. The tides over the Easter long weekend are perfect to pump yabbies and fish the Barron mouth in the afternoon. Unless there is heavy flooding there, it will be fishable. Whiting, bream, flathead and grunter are the main target species, but

for inexperienced fingers, are less easily swallowed by juvenile fish, and easier to remove without harming the catch.

For the more serious angler, April marks the start of the changeover to winter species, but I think the arrival of winter fish will be late this year due to the delayed Wet. Barra, jacks, grunter and golden snapper will remain the main estuary and inshore target species this month. A combination of live and dead

researching shark populations and said there hasn’t been an increase in shark numbers on Queensland’s east coast. He put the shark problem down to them becoming more educated on how to get an easy feed. He also pointed the finger at the reduction in fishing areas due to the increase in Green Zones as a catalyst to sharks becoming more savvy. Doesn’t look like the shark problem is going to go away any time soon then…

Sizzling summer slides into awesome autumn PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer

As we entered March, we saw an unprecedented continuation of hot, calm weather with very little associated rain.

Following cyclone Marcia, which crossed land mid-Queensland in February, left the far northern tropics in a vacuum of stillness for weeks afterwards. This long, hot summer has now been in progress since late October and there has only been a snippet of a wet thus far. Long-term locals have experienced nothing like it, and to see nature strips and lawns begin to dry up in March is simply unheard of.

This has meant there have been two sides to the coin as far as fishing is concerned in our region.

The bonus is that there have been numerous opportunities to hit the water under idyllic conditions, but the downside has been a severe lack of rain has slowed the fishing down, particularly along the coast.

Local creeks and rivers are fishing okay, but a serious

flush out is required to stir up proceedings. Analysts are hopeful for a late wet, but time is running out.

The main species in the calm water tributaries have been trevally and golden snapper during the day, with mangrove jack and barra more willing after dark. Along the sand, the likes of Four Mile Beach and Wonga Beach have seen some quality barra and blue salmon produced using hardbody lures. Our beaches have also turned up a couple of treasures in recent times, including some thumping giant trevally and also a very rare catch of a 14’ green sawfish by local angler Gary Cooper.

The above-mentioned species have been most active late in the afternoon and into the evening, while early morning sessions have seen tarpon and trevally being recorded. Coastal pelagic activity for the likes of larger trevally species, mackerel and queenfish has been very slow.

Localised wonky holes are seeing some largemouth nannygai and gold spot cod activity, but it has not been consistent fishing.

Offshore, the reef fishing

Local ‘Sharky’ Shane Down caught this big giant trevally off Four Mile Beach. has seen a lot of traffic, with most locals taking advantage of the beautiful conditions. Reports have

been mixed, with many experiencing just a handful of quality fish. There’s been some worthy coral trout

up to 5kg, a smattering of largemouth nannygai, quite a few spangled emperor, good numbers of long-nosed

emperor and some thickset red emperor. The usual suspects such as sweetlip, Moses perch and stripies have been very active.

There’s still a bit of a run on the gold spot and tealeaf trevally, but their great form over several months has tapered off slightly.

Spanish mackerel catches are a bonus at the moment and there are still some smaller gangs hanging around those isolated deep reef pinnacles out on the open grounds. Sharks have made quite an impression of late, and as reported by charter operators, any chance of a good nannygai haul is definitely under threat. Still, there’s enough good fishing to warrant a trip to the outer reef, and if the weather pattern remains similar, there’s going to be ample of opportunity to do so.

April can traditionally produce some indifferent weather, but generally speaking it is a very good month across the board to wet a line inshore and offshore. However, on the back of a very ‘dry’ wet thus far, we’ll have to wait and see what effect this has had overall.

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APRIL 2015

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April: An abundance of options CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

When the southeasterly trade winds begin in full force, much of Cape York’s fishable area is up and down the coast and rivers of the west coast. This area is picturesque, colourful, rich in life and culture, and home to some of the most productive wetlands-based fisheries in Australia. Let’s take a quick look at what might be biting in April.

incoming tide further and further upstream.

Some of this bait begins to form into tight schools just offshore along much of Cape York’s Gulf coastline.

Speedsters such as giant trevally, queenfish, grey mackerel, golden trevally, longtail and mac tuna pursue these schools with vigour in the early hours of most mornings in April.

Barramundi are getting fat this time of year, feasting on the proceeds of the wet and ever-expanding food webs.

Barra are opportunistic feeders

the tide.

Anglers can have very good success with shallow diving, suspending and surface lures at this time of year. Expect very good bites close to dawn and dusk, and then again on tide changes.

Poppers and fizzers for that last hour before dark can produce mesmerising fishing.

It can be a test of reflexes and composure when fish are boofing a surface lure. The inclination is always to strike backwards when a fish erupts underneath, often snatching the artificial out of the way

Some of the shallow bays mid-way down the west coast fish particularly well at this time of year. With masses of baitfish in them, the majority are very difficult to successfully fish without occasionally getting stuck and hitting sand or mud. This is because most of the best fishing occurs on the bottom half of the tide, where bait and predators are concentrated in a far smaller area.

Large shallow mud flats which drain huge mangrovefringed areas are incredible examples of just how much

A nice barra caught around snags on a gentle outgoing tide. the ebb. As the last of the tide falls or as the tide again begins to flood, predators such as barramundi, mangrove jack,

Left: Another nice fish from the same session, fooled by the slow twitch. Right: Almost a metre of drain-caught barramundi is slid into the net.

With grey skies still looming on the horizon, April can be a bit of a lottery weather-wise. In most years though, things are beginning to clear up, the rains have passed, and the rivers have that brilliant bluey-brown tinge which teems with life for the next month or so. Bait schools have well and truly begun to form around the coastal fringes, river mouths, and are pushing up with the

and will enjoy a meal of just about anything at this time of year. Those in the upstream pools will be looking for cherabin, frogs, herring, black bream, archer fish, sleepy cod, garfish and tarpon. Those stuck down in the saltwater margins will be feasting on prawns, crabs, mullet, garfish, sardines, herring, bony bream, whiting, milkfish and many other inconspicuous critters scampering about with

Contact Tim on 0437 218 511 to arrange your next fishing trip W: wildrivercompany.com.au E: wildrivercompany@gmail.com

COOKTOWN’S

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of a hungry predator. It takes nerves of steel to leave it for a split second before twitching it seductively again close by.

life crawls, swims and scampers their way up into the mangroves on the high tide, and then return or hide during

threadfin salmon, fingermark, queenfish, golden trevally and way more than enough catfish concentrate on the front

We need rain!

KARUMBA

Alan Gurney awes0me@bigpond.net.au

The lack of a decent flood during the wet will mean that all the lagoons weren’t flooded and the smaller barramundi were unable to get into the saltwater rivers to provide us with more fish to catch.

The positive is there were masses of undersize fish released last year that will be legal to catch this year.

Groover managed to find a metre barramundi for a lucky client and good numbers of smaller fish, but with some very quiet days thrown in.

This month will see the grunter start to turn up as well

as big barramundi moving up the systems, so get ready for some hot action. Out the front near the Sand Island is a good place to start looking for grunter, but don’t spend all day in one spot as they may miss you. Keep adjusting your area until you find them, and then when they stop biting, move again, as they feed in a school and usually follow the current.

One of the issues up here is that people need to handle undersize fish with care, as they are the ones you will catch next year. If the fish has swallowed the hook, then cut the line and let it go. The hook will rust out in a short amount of time and fish has a chance of survival. Killing the fish to get your hook back is very short sighted and will

A nice barra caught on a Carpentaria Barra and Sportfishing Adventure. come back to haunt you in future years.

Our waterways are in pristine condition, so please take home any waste that is not biodegradable to keep them that way. Every year we get some irresponsible people that get to learn the hard way about our passion to do the right thing. We know that if we all look after our fishery then we can keep coming back, and we

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APRIL 2015

sections of these mega-drains.

Casting soft plastics and jigs in unusual places on the deeper outskirts of these drains can bring surprising results. Mulloway and larger threadfin salmon are 2 prime culprits, as they patrol current lines looking for prawns and baitfish transitioning to deeper water.

April is a month to really go for broke. Look for a hot bite that will be a memorable one for the rest of the year!

It’s a stunning time to be up in the far north and definitely the month where absolutely everything feels alive!

• For information on remote charter operations for tailored fishing adventures, please email Tim on wildrivercompany @gmail.com

A thumper threadie caught on a Carpentaria Barra and Sportfishing Adventure.

have good fisheries officers to help. Driving closer than 30m from anchored boats creates a large wave that is not needed and can cause issues if the anchored boat does not see you coming. Some guys tried this because they could not be bothered going out further and were upset that they got reported and, better still, fined. It is amazing that they caused the problem, but think it is not their fault.

SWEERS ISLAND It is time for this awesome fishing resort to again open to the public, and if last year was anything to go by, it will be a ripper. I love the fact that while fishing is usually why people go there, you can bump into some pretty famous people who turn up for the peace and quiet of hardly any mobile phone service, beautiful white sandy beaches, and natural bush walks to fill in the days. You can catch all sorts of reef fish and there are always sweetlip around to fill out the esky.

FIND THE

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HAWK FISHING • FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION

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FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for February was G Uhlmann of Golden Beach, who won a Z-Man Sportsfishing pack valued over $350 rrp.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – QFM

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The Find the VMC logo prize winners for February were: K Ripley of Mudgeeraba, J Kelly of Rothwell, E & V Jackson of Long Flat Via Gympie, R Hodges of Ballina, P Fielder of Everton Hills, N Martin of Kalkie, J White of Aspley, L Hill of Coominya, G Anderson of Emu Park, T Ramm of Kawana, G Winterton of Eli Waters, B Chappell of Miriam Vale, R Waters of Temora, J Bryan of Charleville, B Frankel of Pottsville, C Couper of Chinchilla, G Ward of Bloomfield, L Betts of Kendall, A Webster of Maroochydore, J Bowyer of Blackall , R Wheeler of Maryborough, W Sommerfeld of Toowoomba, R Chapman of Gladstone, N Euston of Tully, G Green of Currumbin Waters, W Wood of Keppel Sands, J McQuaigue of Currumbin Waters, W Robinson of Raceview, B Dalgarno of Geebung, J Bianchi of Springsure, J Brown of Edmonton, R Maynard of Nundah, J Paul of Inverell, F Heiniger of Woombye, P Carrington of Deception Bay, D Davidson of Guyra, R Bowe of Murwillumbah, M Chadwick of Gladstone, S Beling of Harristown, J Simke of Murrumba Downs.

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• DECEMBER 2010 APRIL 2015

Do the miles, catch the prize FRESHWATER

Angus James

Time certainly does fly when you’re having fun!

The year is well and truly underway and the line peeling, drag screaming fun will be sure to continue as the season starts to take shape into autumn. The Tropical North hasn’t had the rainfall we all would have liked for this time of year but I predict that we are due to get some more soon.

MANGROVE JACKS With the temperature still quite humid mangrove jack are, and will be, in full attack mode smashing your soft plastics and surface lures!

The sweet water streams have been producing plenty of entertainment on the little red devils. Concentrate on the snaggy areas that have plenty of cover and shade.

Also remember that jacks are very territorial; so if you find a snag that looks like it should have a sign saying ‘JACK LIVES HERE’, work it from every angle to try find that aggression bite. The smaller jacks on light gear are a great way to target this unique species. A stand out lure for me is the 3.5’’ Zman GrubZ. I find it the perfect mid sized presentation to flick into those honey holes.

JUNGLE PERCH We all know that old saying that effort equals reward, and that’s exactly how I go about my jungle perch fishing. In my opinion Tropical NQ is the best place in the world to target big JPs. This is a great time of year to plan that trip and search for that big one! Big jungle perch are a reward to the keen anglers who are willing to put in the hard yards to explore those untouched areas.

Anglers doing the hard yards and covering water will be rewarded with solid jungle perch like this one taken by the author in a northern sweet water stream.

Covering ground will get you into some spectacular country.

The magical rainforests are waiting for you to enjoy them. Not only is the country breathtaking, the fishing can

be off the chain! On a recent trip I managed to land 13 JP over the 40cm mark, this because I had a solid game

plan and researched the area that I predicted was going to produce the results.

Not every JP session in

toughest species, the sooties will have a go at most artificial presentations. Along with spinnerbaits and surface lures, soft plastics work a treat. Remember to have that drag set right because they will peel line ASAP to get

you back into the timber.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Easter and hope you all get a chance to enjoy what this beautiful country has to offer and maybe catch a fish or two while enjoying it.

Left: Freshwater jacks will test every knot you’ve tied in your rig, so make sure you’re on the ball when one of these red devils strike!

Right: Sooties will be out in numbers during the Easter period and willing to tackle just about any presentation that enters their domain.

Juvenile jacks have the most awesome colouration, particularly when found up small freshwater streams.

new country is rewarding but being persistent and positive will get you onto the bigger models eventually.

Remember to hold your spots secret and look after them because they are very special!

JP are predominately a surface feeder so any surface lures work great. Cast you lures upstream and allow them to make there way across likely looking fish holding areas, often you will see the JPs race out to smash the lure! Often using surface lures upstream and soft plastics on the way home is a great way to fish these areas.

SOOTY GRUNTER There have been plenty of sooty grunter (black bream) providing endless entertainment in most of our freshwater streams along TNQ. These fish fight dirty and will make a mess of you if you’re not on your game!

Regarded as one of our APRIL 2015

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Shorter days, faster action TOOWOOMBA

Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com

The days are getting shorter as we get closer to the cool months. For now, the dams will hold their temperature and the fishing should be great.

Shorter days mean there is less time for the fish to

feed so the bites can be more intense. It also means anglers don’t have to get out of bed at ridiculous hours to enjoy the sun rising over the water.

I’ve managed to fit in a few trips to play with a few prototype sinking hardbody lures. These lures have actions and characteristics the bass have never seen before. It amazes me fish can learn not to eat something

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWNS: TOOWOOMBA, CROWS NEST The fishing at Cressbrook remains tough. The bass are quite scattered over the dam making casting to them a harder option. Trolling lures will cover more water and give you a much better chance of scoring fish. The beauty of trolling is you can be in with a chance of catching while keeping an eye on the sounder for any concentrations of fish.

Some of the better areas have been out in front of the boat ramp, the toilet points, across the buoy line to the island and the points opposite the boat ramps.

When trolling, I’d recommend using deeper diving lures. The Blitz Baga, Kezza Freak, Golden Child and Little Rippa all perform well. These lures are either made from timber or solid plastic so therefore have no rattles. Rattling lures can still catch fish but I believe the silent models perform much better on Cressbrook’s fish.

When schools of bass are found, cast fast sinking lures to them. Tail-spinners are perfect for covering heaps of water quickly if the fish are scattered. Blade baits will be a better option if the bass are holding close to the bottom and soft plastics are great if they school up below the boat.

Make sure you have a mix of lures as the fishing at Cressbrook is rarely easy.

Show them what they want on the day and you’ll be in with a much better chance.

There is no longer an entry fee at the boom gate but the 8 knot speed limit is still in place. Hours for boating and day use of the recreation area are 6am to 8pm.

For all your supplies, expert advice and to check on the boating restrictions, call in at Fish’n’Bits in Alderley

they have seen before. As new lures come out, they can dominate the scene with great catches until the fish get smarter. It then comes down to refining the technique or showing them something slightly different to keep the bites coming. I wonder what the next craze will be?

Until next month, buckled rods from the Colonel! sections of the lake should be fishable this month or maybe next. Somerset has always been a fast dam to clear up in comparison to some of the others in South East Queensland.

When this water clears, the action should pick up quickly.

Prior to the inflow, the fishing had been tough but after other similar flood events in years past, the fishing has been good

Spinnerbaits fished to the weed edge in Maroon Dam will produce some great bass sessions. Blake Ehrlich nailed a heap of fish using 1/2oz spinnerbaits and Powerbait Ripple Shads rigged on 1/4oz Dam Deep jigheads fitted with beetle spin frames.

Street, Toowoomba, or give them a ring on (07) 4636 6850. The boys at the store are experts on the freshwater scene and really know their stuff.

SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY The fishing at Somerset has been tough for the last month. As cyclone Marcia and the low that passed over and dumped their rain in the catchment, the inflow of water dirtied the lake. This will make luring a bit harder until the water clears enough. Usually the clearing of the water will happen first at either end. The dam wall or Stanley River

as soon as there is around 60cm visibility. Tossing vibrating lures like blade baits will be a great approach in the coloured water. Bass and golden perch will be able to find these lure types easier than subtle presentations like soft plastics.

Spend the time sounding around to locate schools of fish. Somerset is a big lake so finding fish can sometimes take a few hours if you have no idea where to start looking.

Once found, the rewards will come.

After the inflow, redclaw numbers have already picked up. If you are planning on

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BRISBANE

using funnel traps, check up on the new QLD regulations and make sure you abide by the new laws.

MAROON CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH, RATHDOWNEY Maroon Dam has been turning on great fishing some days and been hard to crack on others. This can often be the story when fish are holding tight to the weed beds. If they choose to have a sulk, they can hang tight or even bury themselves in the weed where they are near impossible to tempt. When this is the case, the harder they are to catch, the tighter to the weed you should fish.

Schools have been hanging around the deeper parts where the water is over 7m deep just outside the well-defined weed

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Toowoomba

1 Tinaroo Falls Dam 2 Peter Faust Dam 3 Burdekin Falls Dam 4 Eungella Dam 5 Teemburra Dam 6 Kinchant Dam 7 Cania Dam 8 Lake Monduran 9 Isis Balancing Storage 10 Wuruma Dam 11 Lenthalls Dam 12 Boondooma Dam 13 Bjelke-Petersen Dam 14 Lake MacDonald 15 Gordonbrook Dam 16 Borumba Dam 17 Somerset Dam 18 Wivenhoe Dam 19 Pindari Dam 20 Copeton Dam 21 Moogerah Dam 22 Maroon Dam 23 Leslie Dam 24 Connolly Dam 25 Coolmunda Dam 26 Clarrie Hall Dam (NSW) 27 Hinze Dam 28 Lake Cressbrook 29 Callide Dam 30 Lake Awoonga 31 Ewan Maddock Dam 32 Fairbairn Dam 33 Koombooloomba Dam 34 Cooby Dam 35 Lake Samsonvale 36 Lake Baroon

31

17

28

34

25 Cairns 1

26

19 20

33

Townsville 2

3 4

Proserpine 6 Mackay

5

32

Rockhampton

Emerald 29

Gladstone

30

7

8

10

Bundaberg 9 11

Highlighted dams are covered in this issue

Maryborough

Roma

BRISBANE

edges. Most days, these schools hold the smaller fish. I fished the dam recently and sounded up heaps of these schools. My Humminbird 1198 is great for picking the size of the fish and I don’t recall seeing anything of legal size on the display on that particular day. Having said that, a lot of the better quality fish we caught came from the weed edge close by to the smaller schooling bass.

The banks, points and weed clusters out in the middle of the dam on the southern side have been holding plenty of bass. You can basically start fishing from opposite the main boat ramp and work the edge all the way up into the start of the timber.

Reaction baits are performing well. Spinnerbaits, beetle spins, lipless crankbaits and small blade baits will all

DAM LEVEL Report DAMS NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR Atkinson 41 36 33 30 29 Awoonga 89 96 96 96 96 Bjelke-Petersen 52 52 51 48 49 Boondooma 67 69 69 72 71 Borumba 94 94 96 100 99 Burdekin Falls 78 72 73 95 93 Callide 54 74 73 84 93 Cania 83 88 88 97 101 Clarendon 46 41 38 37 35 Clarrie Hall n/a 92 n/a 100 100 Cooby 63 76 73 71 71 Coolmunda 39 36 39 65 61 Copeton 28 25 19 17 17 Cressbrook 88 92 89 89 89 Dyer/Bill Gunn 52 47 52 74 77 Eungella 95 90 88 90 90 Fairbairn 37 39 42 59 57 Glenlyon 32 26 26 27 27 Hinze 85 83 83 87 96

Gympie

12

account for fish. Cast these along the steeper weed edges during the day. In the mornings and afternoons, there can be action up in the shallower areas. You can stick with similar lures and work them over the tops of the weed and through any deeper pockets or try your luck with suspending jerk baits.

The low light periods have been great for surface lures. The topwater action is best when fishing out of the wind. Even on a blowy day you can usually find a wind shadow in a bay somewhere around the lake. Lures like the Cultiva Zip’n Ziggy, Bent Minnow and Halco Roosta Popper 60 will draw the strikes. It is not unusual to score the better quality fish when working surface lures

For fortnightly updates Julius 57 60 102 99 98  Kinchant 86 73 76 88 85 Koombooloomba 25 21 16 33 46  Leslie 31 25 28 26 26  Macdonald 62 61 57 68 100  Maroon 87 90 93 99 100  Monduran/Fred Haigh 80 80 81 91 102  Moogerah 81 80 81 91 91  North Pine/Samsonval 63 62 61 60 80  Peter Faust/Proserpine 87 86 84 86 85 Pindari 13 12 12 13 13  Somerset 97 97 98 100 100  Storm King n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a  Teemburra 96 91 91 93 93  Tinaroo 71 66 61 77 88 Toonumbar 92 88 88 97 100  Wivenhoe 81 80 78 77 95  Wuruma 75 81 81 81 101

on Sunwater dams visit www.sunwater.com.au



This symbol

indicates that a

Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.

All figures are % readings Current as of 17/03/15

DARLING DOWNS GRANITE BELT REGION COOBY CLOSET TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS, TOOWOOMBA The golden perch action has slowed down a little at Cooby. There is still the occasional fish falling for a trolled lure but most of the action is happening on bait or slowly hopped lipless crankbaits and blades.

The deeper water around 7-11m seems to be producing the best. The fish finder in this depth will light up with golden perch in certain areas. They can turn up right in the middle of the dam so keep your eyes glued to the screen as you cross the lake. The bank running all the way to the buoy line, which is opposite the steep rock wall is a great starting point if you can’t pinpoint fish on the sounder. Anchoring here and fishing live shrimp or saltwater yabbies near the bottom is almost guaranteed to produce fish or at least some sort of action.

Drifting wide of these banks in around 8-10m of water with small blades and lipless crankbaits can often out fish baits. The trick is to hop the lure slowly along the bottom as you drift. The goldens seem very lethargic and aren’t prepared to chase lures down. A slow hop and tiny shakes seems to excite them more. Just keep the lure in front of the fish. It can be

a boring way to fish (barely moving the lure) but it is the only method consistently producing the goods.

Cooby is an electric motor only dam and is well suited to kayaks and canoes. The concrete boat ramp is on a shallow angle when the dam is full and can be slippery in places but a big electric powered boat can still be launched with care. Outboard motors can be left on the boat but must not be used.

Live shrimp and saltwater yabbies can be purchased from Highfields Bait and Tackle on the New England Highway in Highfields. Call in and see Doug and check out the great range of fishing gear, kayaks and accessories he has on display.

LESLIE CLOSEST TOWN: WARWICK The action has been tapering off a little at Leslie Dam. The golden perch seem to be getting tougher to consistently catch on lures.

Blades have been producing quite a few fish in the main basin of the lake. Often the better numbers of fish will be found around the submerged rocky structure and off the point near the house overlooking the dam. Spinnerbaits fished to the structure around the lake will also produce a few fish.

Golden perch will be the most common but you never

SUNSHINE COAST REGION BAROON POCKET CLOSEST TOWNS: MALENY, LANDSBOROUGH Despite being in the path of a lot of rain over the beginning of the year, the dam is still fishing well. The rises covered the existing weed beds making them deeper but the bass adapted well.

Trolling the outside edges of the weed is one of the best ways to score a bass. Lures that dive 3-4m are ideal. The Halco 3m Poltergeist and Rapala Shad Rap are great options.

Quite a few anglers are opting for the black and red (bloodnut) 3m Poltergeist, which has earned itself a good reputation on the lake. Be sure to keep the lure clean of weed and doing its thing to ensure

you get a bite.

Lure casters should try an early start and fishing surface lures to the edges of the lake and over the top of submerged weed beds.

Poppers like the Cultiva Gobo Popper and Halco Roosta Popper 60 are great for a steady retrieve. To cover the water faster, opt for a stickbait style topwater lure like the Cultive Zip’n Ziggy, Sammy 65 or Berkley 3B Scum Dog 68. Be sure to allow a lengthy pause every so often as this is the trigger to getting strikes.

Spinnerbaits fished around the weed edge may also be rewarding. If the fish are up shallow they will take lures fished over the tops of the weed. As the day moves on, they tend to drop back into deeper water where they can be caught

WIDE BAY AND BURNETT REGION BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY Lure trolling results have started to slow down with more fish being caught on cast lures. This could be the first sign of the fish moving back to shallower water and starting

to school up. There have been numbers of bass and golden perch holding around the Barbers Pole, Balancing Rock and The Junction. These fish are likely to stay in fairly deep water and you should be able to locate them on the sounder in 6-10m. Once found, try using a range of lures to see

know when a big old Murray cod will latch onto your next cast. Spinnerbaiting is a great way to target both species. Be sure you up the size of your

committing. Worms from the bank will often produce silver perch, so it may be worth trying a couple of rods with different baits on offer.

While this eel-tailed catfish fell for a jigged blade, most will take baits intended for bass and golden perch. leader to at least 20lb when throwing spinnerbaits. If a cod swallows the lure, it could wear through the line with its raspy mouth.

Bait fishers will continue to score fish all over the dam when using live shrimp and saltwater yabbies. The point out in front of the house before the Black Boy Bend is a consistently reliable spot.

Goldens can also be caught from the shore when fishing from the eastern banks. Live shrimp are a good bait for bank fishing as they are tougher than the saltwater yabbies and last a little longer when the fish are picking at them and not quite

For any tips and gear for fishing Leslie Dam or the Warwick area, call in and see the guys at Warwick Outdoor and Sports in Palmerin Street Warwick. The store stocks a great range of bait and freshwater gear, which is well suited to catching our Australian natives.

COOLMUNDA CLOSEST TOWN: INGLEWOOD The fishing at Coolmunda has started to pick up again.

Some storm run-off at the beginning of the year topped the dam up and dirtied the water. It has now well and truly returned to a clarity

from schools. Casting blade baits and hopping them back through these fish is sure to trigger a bite.

EWEN MADDOCK CLOSEST TOWNS: LANDSBOROUGH, CALOUNDRA Ewen Maddock has recovered well from all the rain earlier this year. The bass are chewing early in the morning around the weed edges and then getting harder to tempt through the day.

Smaller specimens have been common but there is still the occasional fish between 40 and 50cm in length showing up.

Hopping blades down the weed face will be one of the best approaches. Try the weed edges where the weed drops away into 4-6m of water. Smaller blades around 1/4oz are great for hopping and fishing this depth of water. It can take a little practise to get the

technique right. Try sinking the lure with the rod in a raised position and using smaller hops as it sinks down the weed face. Short, sharp hops should rip it free of the weed and allow you to follow the contour all the way to the bottom.

what they want.

Tail-spinners, blades, lipless crankbaits and soft plastics are all worth tossing into the schooling fish. If they are really stubborn and hugging the bottom under the boat a vertically jigged ice jig can make them bite.

The Stuart timber should fish well with spinnerbaits cast to the deeper edges. Casts To page 74

fishable with lures. There was a definite improvement in the action early last month, which saw golden perch, silver perch and Murray cod being taken.

Most of the mixed species action was taking place when using live shrimp. Since the rain, there has been a lot of big shrimp in the dam. These can be caught in shrimp traps and then used as bait. Be sure to give them fresh water and keep them aerated if you are keeping them for any period of time. A healthy flicking shrimp will always out fish a dead one.

The main timbered arm has been a reliable spot for the bait fishers. Try to target fish around the deeper channel, which runs through the timber.

Position your boat in 4-6m of water and you should be in with a pretty good chance.

Lure fishers will be able to troll up a few golden perch and the occasional cod. Working structure is the key to success.

A sounder will help you locate any of the logs and stumps in the basin of the lake. What

looks like clear open water often holds a lot of hidden surprises, especially along the drop-offs to the old creek beds. Casting spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits is another good option. A good place to try your luck is up in the standing timber in both arms of the lake.

The Coolmunda Caravan Park is only around 1km away from the lake. The park is just off the Cunningham Highway but far enough away from the noise of trucks to get a good night’s sleep. It offers camping sites, cabins, caravan facilities, tennis courts, a swimming pool, BBQ shelter and a camp kitchen. The park now has an extra two new wheelchair friendly cabins to add to their older ones.

Camping is also available near the boat ramp with toilets and hot showers to make your stay more comfortable. To take advantage of this and the great fishing opportunities in the lake and the river below, give the park a call on (07) 4652 4171.

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73

From page 73

should be placed towards the edge and then worked back following the contour into 5m of water. Compact spinnerbaits weighing 1/2 and 5/8oz are ideal for this style of fishing.

Last month, bait fishers caught plenty of fish on live shrimp. There were heaps of golden perch around The Junction area with several anglers bagging out in one session. These fish will continue to take baits actively for at least the next couple of months.

Redclaw crayfish were scarce but I have heard of good catches closer to the banks.

Placing traps right in the weed beds seemed to be the trick to getting them. A mate of mine, Brown Dog, reported catching heaps of redclaw using this method.

Boondooma is a great place to camp right near the water and sit by the fire while enjoying the view. You could also stay in more style and comfort by booking into one of the cabins overlooking the dam. The kiosk at the main office does hot food and other basic items. For campsites, cabins and bunkhouse rooms call Corey and Niki on (07) 4168 9694.

BJELKE CLOSEST TOWNS: MURGON, GOOMERI The golden perch action has slowed down a little but the smaller bass continue to bite.

There have been heaps of tiny bass willing to chew a blade bait hopped or wound back off the lake edges. Position the boat in around 6m of water and work the blade down the contour to get the bites. The bass have been holding in schools so it is necessary to look around using a fish finder to locate them. While most are only small fish, there is the occasional bigger one up to 40cm mixed in with them.

Trolling lipless crankbaits is one way to try and weed out the smaller bass and target

better quality fish. Both bass and golden perch will fall for this method. When trolling, use just enough speed to have the lure vibrating. This will see it swimming at 3-4 m deep. The bigger profile of the lure seems to attract the better quality bass.

Some of the better reports using this technique have been from the start of the fishing area at the dam wall to the closest boat ramp.

For help catching Bjelke and Boondooma fish, call into your local Bass 2 Barra store. You can see Matthew at Kingaroy or Dylan in Dalby and the boys will have you all geared up and ready for action in no time. Bass 2 Barra stores stock an awesome range of gear suited to chasing our freshwater fish and the boys have all the knowledge to guide you on how to use it.

The Yallakool kiosk is all set up with a great range of tackle if you don’t happen to have the right lure or lose one.

Be sure to call in and check it out. Give them a call for accommodation and camping bookings on (07) 4168 4746.

LENTHALLS CLOSEST TOWNS: MARYBOROUGH, HERVEY BAY The dam has seen very little fishing pressure in the last months. The water rose only 400mm during the cyclone event and this has had little effect on the water clarity. This means anglers are still able to fish the lake with lures in the hope of tangling with a barramundi or bass.

The barramundi have been very quiet but reasonable numbers of bass continue to be caught on a variety of lures.

Casting surface stickbaits and poppers to the edges early in the morning is a great way to start the day. This is a top option at this time of year as water temperatures are up but the days are getting shorter. With the gates to the lake opening at 6am, shorter days mean you are still able to get in some

GREAT FO R A D AY EV E N B E T T E R W H E N Y O U S TAY

• Great fishing, bass, yellowbelly, cod, saratoga, garfish…

• Windsurfing, boating, beach volleyball, playground, BBQ’s.

• Level tent sites, showers, toilets, hot and cold water.

Only 50 kms from Toowoomba For more information on camping or fees: Call Toowoomba Regional Council on 131 872 during office hours or visit www.toowoombaRC.qld.gov.au 74

APRIL 2015

productive time fishing the surface. Bass and barramundi will be willing to strike your topwater lures so beef up your leader size just in case it is one of the bigger barra that takes a liking to your lure.

As the day wears on, switch to lipless crankbaits or suspending jerkbaits.

Concentrate on working these lures around structure. Weed beds are great especially when they form bays and points creating more shadows and hidey-holes for the fish. There

rarely does it ever get too dirty to fish lures successful.

The early morning surface action is well worth the early start. Walking a Cultiva Zip’n Ziggy across the top of the weed up around the timber has been a great way to hook a quality bass. The surface action will die off once the sun rises but the bass will still take spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and blade baits.

There have also been some fish out in the deeper water.

A sounder is needed to locate

Golden perch will still be keen to take lures this month. Why not try rigging a beetle spin frame on your favourite lipless crankbait.

It gives more vibration and flash. is plenty of submerged timber to target as well and if you can find this just outside the weed edge, you are in with a good chance.

Trolling medium diving lures like the 50mm Poltergeist straight up the middle of the dam will also catch quality bass. With the speed limit being only 6 knots, it doesn’t hurt to slow down a little more and troll working up the middle or moving closer to the edges following the contours and outside of the weed edge.

There are entry gates in place at Lenthalls. These open and close to allow access with fishing times being from 6am-8pm. Only 4-stroke outboards or low emission 2-strokes up to 50hp are allowed on the lake. The speed limit is 6 knots.

For more information on fishing the lake, call in and see Dane or one of the other guys at Fisherman’s Corner in Hervey Bay. The store is at 59 Torquay Road.

ISIS BALANCING STORAGE CLOSEST TOWN: BUNDABERG The Isis has seen a lot of activity recently. Rivers and creeks in the Bundaberg area have been dirty after the rain and have only just cleared up in the last month. This has seen more anglers getting their fishing fix at Isis.

The dam is slightly coloured at the time of writing but this could change when water is pumped from the Burnett River to top it up. The Burnett is filthy and depending on how much is pumped in will determine just how dirty the lake could get. I would imagine it will remain fishable though as

these schooling fish. Once found, they can be caught on soft vibes and 1/4 and 3/8oz blade baits.

Over the last couple of months, there have been some captures of saratoga. These fish are slowly starting to take hold in the dam. The weedy vegetation and lilies make a perfect habitat for these fish to breed in. Saratoga are hard work and an expensive fish to stock. Their numbers are only

off so will be able to steer you in the right direction. Saltys has an excellent layout and an awesome range of tackle suited to freshwater fishing as well as catering for the endless fishing opportunities in the surrounding area.

MONDURAN CLOSEST TOWN: GIN GIN During the flooding rain further north in the year, Monduran had a sudden rise, which sent the water over the spillway by around 400mm.

This sudden rise brought down a lot of debris and the dirty water covered most of the dam.

Not many anglers have fished the dam since but from the few that have, there has still been the odd barra encounter.

Places out of the main river such as Bird Bay, ‘B’ arms, Two Mile and Jacks will be worth a look for clearer waters.

The Kolan River was the reason the dam rose so suddenly.

The water rushed down from rain further up in the dams catchment while in the vicinity of the dam itself, there was little runoff. Therefore the backwaters would be my first ports of call in search of clearer water. Even the main body of the dam itself has already cleared to a point where there is enough visibility for the barra to find lures.

Below the dam in the Kolan River, there was quite a bit of water flowing from the overflowing dam as well as local run-off. This made the river dirty but it should just about be fishable this month.

The access points near Bucca and Smiths Crossing will be well worth a visit. It will be interesting to see what the numbers of barra are like after this last flood event. Some

of the weed may have been cleaned out in areas from the current as the water moved through but there are sure to be plenty of weed beds and snags waiting to be fished.

The tackle store in Gin Gin, Foxies, stocks a range of effective barra lures. The store will mail order and you

can check it out online at www. barratackle.com.au. Be sure to call in and get directions to some of the best barra fishing in the area or pick up one of the detailed maps.

Accommodation can be booked through Lake Monduran Kiosk and Tackle Shop. They look after all the cabins, houses, powered and unpowered camp sites, as well as house boats and boat hire.

You can also make bookings for Guide Lines fishing charters through the kiosk, on (07) 4157 3881. I usually stay at the Gin Gin Hotel, which is about 20 minutes from the boat ramp.

The rooms are very affordable and pretty basic but you can get a great feed and cold beer.

To make a booking call (07) 4157 2106.

Jamie Bein runs Lake Monduran Barra Charters and fishes that dam more than anyone I know. His regular visits ensure he has a good understanding of what’s going on. Contact Jamie on his mobile, 0407 434 446 or through his website www. lakemonduranbarracharters .com.

CANIA CLOSEST TOWNS: MONTO BILOELA The dam filled to over 100% during the cyclone event and I expect it will take some time for the lure fishing to pick up. In the meantime, try fishing baits of live shrimp or frozen saltwater yabbies. The dam should fish reasonably well for a mixed bag of catfish, bass and golden perch from the edges around the boat ramps and picnic area while the water remains coloured.

I’m not sure if anyone took advantage of the weeks after the flood but I imagine the saratoga would have moved up onto the flooded ground to go nuts on all the new food.

CALLIDE CLOSEST TOWN: BILOELA Heaps of water poured out of the dam as the automatic flood gates began to release after the floodwater roared into the dam in February. It will be interesting to hear just how this has changed fish numbers.

There is a good chance the smaller class of barramundi in the lake will have stayed put.

As the water clears I guess we will see just how well the lake recovers.

The stocking group really needs to be commended for their efforts. Even after the flood they were hard at work putting in another 28,000 yellowbelly fingerlings. With effort like this Callide is sure to recover quickly and be an angling paradise once more.

fisheries. The fishing does seem to be getting tougher and this could be due to the extra angling pressure the dam now receives.

The weed beds are just

covered with water at the moment but by the time this goes to print, there should be plenty of fresh weed plumes reaching the surface. The healthier weed will be the place to target fish. If it is just under the surface, hard

This Lenthalls bass measuring 47cm nailed a Bassman Carls compact #25 Spinnerbait. low in the dam so take extra care of these fish and ensure they swim away in good health so they may have the chance to further populate the dam in the future.

The boys at Saltys Tackleworld in Bundaberg are bass experts. They love to fish the dam on their days MACKAY REGION KINCHANT CLOSEST TOWNS: MARION, MACKAY Kinchant continues to be one of the most reliable barramundi impoundment

To page 75

From page 74

body topwater lures like Cultiva Tango Dancers and Rapapa Skitterpops will be ideal tweaked over the tops of it during the morning, afternoon and night.

When the weed forms broken pockets and reached the surface, bring out the soft plastic frogs for a run.

Plastics like the Zoom Horny Toad, Powerbait Bat Wing Frog, Squidgy Boof Frog, Ribbit and Z-Man Hard Legs Frog can all be used to get the bites.

Connecting to the fish is the tricky part. The frogs need

to be rigged on a weighted worm hook. A great hook is the Owner Beast Hook.

It has a huge gape allowing for much better hooksets that other worm hooks. The plastics are attached to the hook via a spiral of stainless wire ensuring they last longer and hold on tighter than any other connection method.

Bigger barra have been coming from the deeper water.

These fish can be caught through the day and at night.

Barra will patrol the edges of the weed beds on the flats outside them. These fish are usually cruisers and will move

through the area. Park outside the weed bed and anchor the boat in position or spot lock it on the electric motor. Cast heavier plastics allowing them to sink to the bottom. Two of the best are the 5” Powerbait Mullet and Slick Rig 130 (full weight not Pro). These lures can then be hopped back along the bottom or retrieved.

Vibes are another option for the deeper fish. The Transam 95 started the soft vibe craze and now there are heaps of others to choose from. I can’t comment on the performance of the other models as I stick with the

proven original but imagine in the right hands they could all work well.

A side imaging sounder is ideal for this deep water work. If the boat is able to be positioned side on to the target area, you will be able to scan the water between your position and the weed bed for any cruising fish. When the fish move through, make sure you have a lure in the water. If you have any doubts in this method, just look at the results of Ben Durkin and Matt McArthur over the last few years of ABT barra competitions held on this

within a kilometre or two of the dam wall on deeper lures like the Poltergeist 80 and Scorpion Crazy Deep. A sounder to pinpoint bunches of fish or bait is a huge benefit and takes a lot of the luck element out of the equation. At times, birds will work the bigger bait schools out in the middle. Trolling a lure through this bait can be rewarding.

The dam level has dropped revealing the weed beds better up the back of the dam and also on the southern side of the basin. Casting topwater lures early in the morning can score some boofing barra. Soft plastic frogs have also been great when

worked through the pockets of the weed. When the barra torpedo out after a fast skimming frog, it is exciting stuff. Usually the fish will head straight through the weed and you will need to do some gardening to get them out.

Braided line around 20lb breaking strain is ideal in the weed. If you use heavier braid, you will find its thicker diameter makes it harder to cut through the weed to get the fish back out. The extra weight of the weed will result in pulled hooks. Stick with quality 20lb braid and you’ll be fine.

As the day wears on, switch to plastics and hardbodies around the weed beds. The fish seem to be responding better to smaller offerings. Dane from Proserpine Bait and Tackle believes there was a mass spawning of bony

bream due to the numbers of small dead ones floating around last month. These smaller bony bream are likely to be what the barra are feeding on hence their liking of smaller lures. Dane also had success hopping vibes in the river course up the back of the dam. Once again, smaller profile lures did the damage.

If you are heading out to the dam make sure you call in at Proserpine Bait and Tackle. The store is on the highway through Proserpine and stocks all the barra gear you could possibly need.

The guys will be able to send you in the right direction and help with nailing the lake’s big fish.

The store owner Lindsay Dobe runs charters on the lake and bookings can be made through the store on (07) 4945 4641.

WHITSUNDAY REGION PROSERPINE CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSERPINE, AIRLIE BEACH The barra in Proserpine still seem to be spread out all over the place. Locating the better concentrations is the key to catching numbers but most anglers are only managing 2-3 fish at best.

There are still some big brutes to be trolled up in the main basin of the lake. This is a relaxing way to fish but can be like trying to pull a needle from a haystack. There is so much deep open water for the fish to cruise around in. Usually the better catches come from

lake. If you put in the time perfecting this technique, you will catch some of the monster barra this lake has to offer.

TEEMBURRA CLOSEST TOWNS: PINNACLE, MACKAY The barra action at Teemburra has been great.

Being just a short drive from Kinchant Dam means you have two lakes to try your luck in. This is a bonus when one is fishing tough.

The barra have been holding around the lily points throughout the dam. All the usual tricks will work with soft plastics, hardbodies and

soft vibes all working well.

Quite a few anglers have been managing 5-8 fish per day per boat.

There are heaps of fish around the 80cm size, which is great because it is just when they start to pull hard enough to leave you in awe of their power. Mixed in with them seems to be more and more metre long specimens.

Talk of barra at this size and in these numbers just makes me drool as I know I’m not going to be able to get up there for some time.

Good luck if you beat me to them.

Hopping small blades down the weed beds right to the base will see bass ambushing them with smashing strikes. Try this on lakes like Isis, Ewen Maddock and Maroon.

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75

Take the fly rod to Tassie BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Our recent motoring trip to Tasmania was a voyage of discovery in many respects: the beautiful countryside of the lowlands contrasting with the stark beauty of the Central Plateau, with its many lakes and tarns, all permanently enmeshed with memories of very friendly people plus many opportunities to put a fly rod together and have a crack at a fish.

I’d read so much about the quality of the saltwater fly fishing in the Apple Isle and while I had an #8 saltwater fly outfit in the car, time ran out to tackle the estuaries, so it was trout, trout and more trout for us. There were so many excellent streams in the numerous valleys and so many great places to explore once up in the high country that the #5 and #6 weight rods with weight forward floating lines and 3-4kg leaders (2kg tippet) were assembled and always ready for action.

PLENTIFUL FISH, BUT TRICKY Trout in Tasmania are like trout everywhere; exciting with their easy to see feeding behaviour, but trust me, some pretty careful thought is required to take them. In New England waters, a lot of trout can be taken on an olive or black Woolly Bugger retrieved slowly along a likely stream edge or pool’s head run. In Tasmania, this is merely casting practice. Things will undoubtedly be different in the early part of the season —

August to November — when backwaters are flooded and the fish are opportunistic feeders, but as summer progresses (and angling visitors increase), the majority of the well known lowland streams run slowly with big wide pools, ample, reed-filled backwaters, with the resident trout having plenty of time to have a look at a fly.

If it’s not right, it’s rejected.

Same as anywhere, really.

STREAMS OFFER CHALLENGE Our trip took in most of February, with mayfly hatches triggering fish activity and angling success, as did our grasshopper patterns. Quite obligingly, mayfly duns in Tassie tend to be fairly large,

so a size 14 dun pattern in dark brown is ideal. Another option for the hatch is the classic Brown Shaving Brush, again in 14. This fly imitates a hatching dun and fish love the thing. Where grass came close enough to water for ’hoppers to land in the drink, our ’hopper flies were successful, so long as the day was windy with a bit of ripple occurring.

Interestingly, Tasmania seems to have plenty of bright clear summer days, which means that the fish will tend to lurk near or in cover while it’s bright, and then come out and search for food at first light or towards dusk. Again, a size 12 or 14 mayfly dun imitation is hard to beat when fishing those low light times. When searching around streamside growth during bright, times

Brown trout predominate in Tasmania, but there are rainbows in the Macquarie system, along with several other streams and some lakes. there is also the option of attaching a dropper to a dry fly such as a ’hopper or Royal Wulff (size 12) and dangling a

Above: The author with a late afternoon brown trout from the Macquarie River near Longford.

Top Right: The author found these dun imitations worked when a hatch was occurring on the lakes.

Right: The Macquarie River on such a bright day, water like this needs to be fished right on first light or in the last hour of the day.

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small nymph 30cm beneath it.

The rig is cast close to a bush or other chosen cover, the trout darts out to have a look at the dry, which might or might not take it’s fancy, but the nymph is usually taken happily. A brown seal’s or possum fur nymph, size 16, is perfect. Also, ensure the tippet with the dropper on it is the same breaking strain as the dry fly, or the 2 will assuredly tangle. Rubbing a touch of mud along the dropper tippet ensures it will sink quickly for best results: conversely Gink the dry fly well to keep it afloat.

THE LAKES Tasmania is truly the home of lake fishing; there are so many on the island and when based at Miena on the edge of the Great Lake, we had the luxury of assessing weather of a morning (an important issue; try Willy Weather) then heading for the nearest of over a dozen easily reached lakes that might offer a lee shore to fish from.

Arthurs Lake, Bronte Lagoon and Lake Augusta were kind to us beginners.

With modern breathable chest waders so popular, many anglers wade successfully to fish the lake shores. We had Hornes thigh waders which were brilliant for stream work, easy water crossings and peace of mind regarding snakes, but well remembering all the fish I saw rising just out of wading and casting range on my previous trip, I elected to take our veteran Port Bote on the roof of the car. The old 3.7m Bote is at least 20 years old and has sat folded in the shed ready for use — of which it received plenty in Tasmania. With a 3hp kicker on the transom, we ventured into plenty of sheltered bays.

Sometimes I employed stealth mode and rowed, other times we used the little Yammy to sneak across to the action. The Porta Bote amazed me — no leaks after all those years.

DUN HATCHES THE KEY Again, dun hatches were the key and the best occurred on days that had cloud cover, maybe even a tiny bit of rain, but were not

cold or excessively breezy.

Interestingly, the hatches seemed to occur between midday and 3.00pm. Note the word ‘excessively’ as regards breeze. There always seems to be breeze from 1 direction or another up on these lakes (which can be up to or over 1000m altitude), so when the wind was up and the hatches were occurring, we used a drogue to slow the Porta Bote’s drift while casting ahead with our dun or Shaving Brush patterns. Fish move upwind to feed when the hatch is occurring, so an angler can expect at least a couple of shots at fish coming into range whether shore or boat-based.

TRY THE ‘SLOW RISE’ NYMPH Another quite successful lake tactic is to fish a nymph in the ‘slow rise’ style of retrieve.

A hatching nymph moves fairly rapidly to the surface in a steady sort of motion. Trout hammer them when a hatch is occurring and can be readily triggered into action — even if there is no hatch occurring — by an angler casting a size 12 or 14 dark chocolate coloured nymph out under a floating fly line, allowing plenty of time for it to sink down, and then retrieving in a long but slow lift in 1 movement. This can be done when wading (or if a boat is anchored), with the key to success always being the continuous slow upwards movement of the nymph.

LAST THOUGHTS Tasmania has a lot to offer the fly angler. Huge bream lurk in the estuaries, along with trevally, sea trout and other prizes. The trout angler will be in his or her element with so many streams and so many well stocked lakes available. In fairness though, the fishing can be tough for those unfamiliar with trout and their touchy ways. Don’t be afraid to seek advice from fellow anglers, as I was very impressed with the friendliness of others Denise and I met in our travels. Good local knowledge was proffered freely, even flies were given to us to try, all adding to a most enjoyable fly fishing experience.

Tassie? You’ve got to go.

News

The tilapia are coming A common Bible story says Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish that scholars surmise were tilapia, which probably explains how they seemed to multiply by magic.

Cyclone Marcia certainly left its mark on Central Queensland but in amongst the destruction something else was discovered –

hundreds of juvenile tilapia.

Tilapia were most likely introduced via aquariums during the 1970s and so far efforts to control them have been scratching at the surface. The problem with tilapia is not so much that they compete with natives but they breed prolifically and can survive in poor quality water.

Tilapia are a feral species in Queensland and there are big fines attached to being in possession.

There is little real information in the public arena on their spread or their impact so it’s hard to know what is happening with

them. As they are not to be released there is no way to track them and little data is recorded on their captures.

At present, recreational fishers have no easy way to monitor them and we don’t really understand how they are using our waterways to

spread. Fishers certainly report that they are there and in big numbers in areas, which is of concern.

There is however another side to the tilapia.

I recently visited several Sydney fish markets and in all of them tilapia where freely available and on display. While I haven’t tried it myself, the fish markets all reported that the neutral fishy flavour of tilapia made them popular.

Tilapia is also a feral species in the US, yet they are now the third most eaten fish species after salmon and canned tuna. There has been some controversy

over the nutritional value of tilapia but that hasn’t stopped demand. The neutral flavour of the flesh and fast growth make Tilapia a perfect factory fish. As a result, they are cheap for the consumer.

There is a reason they are known as the chicken of the fish family.

So for a simple fish that once fed the 5000, the true picture is quite complex. They represent a viable source of mass produced protein and an invasive species.

There will be a lot more debate yet about what should be done about them.

predators change as the barra grow, so it makes sense that they move

around. This is the first time we can start to see how that works.

Tracking the baby barra How to report a recapture If you have caught a tagged fish it’s important to report the details. It’s fine if the fish is not released. Many of the fish we have reported are from fish that were kept.

The following are the key things we need to know and how to report them.

INFORMATION REQUIRED ON RECAPTURED TAGGED FISH The following information is required to be collected on tagged fish that have been recaptured: • Tag number (or numbers if 2 tags in fish) • Name, address and telephone number of person recapturing fish • Species • Date recaptured • Location recaptured with as much detail as possible • Total Length Overall (tip of snout to furthest end of tail) • Fork Length Caudal Fork (tip of snout to inside fork of tail) • Weight (whole weight only and whether estimated/measured) • Whether fish was kept or released and if released was tag removed • Any comments on the fish/its condition eg ulcer around tag site REPORTING OF RECAPTURES Ways of reporting a recapture: • Through the suntag website, suntag.org.au • Email to recaptures@suntag.org.au • Fax To 07 4926 3335 • Mail to PO BOX 9793 Frenchville QLD 4701

Each year in Rockhampton Infofish and the local ANSA clubs conduct sampling for barramundi. This year for the first time we were able to visualise that by developing a map of the sample sites with colour coding of the period that the sampling was conducted. In the photo,

pins represent cast net surveys and square line caught fish.

What is most interesting is that besides areas that are landlocked in the survey period, the juvenile barramundi inhabit quite different areas as they grow.

The need for food and ability to defend against

Why recaptures are important Did you get out on the weekend? Did you by any chance catch a fish with a piece of plastic in it, or one that had a weedy growth on its side? If so, did you report it?

Recaptures over the last 30 years have been instrumental in understanding the movement of fish species.

Here are a couple of examples of how the general public has helped Suntag to understand complex fisheries by reporting recaptures.

Barramundi in the Twelve Mile South of Rockhampton

there is a small creek that runs through a cattle property known as Twelve Mile Creek. It’s not much to look at but it plays a critical role as a nursery for barramundi. We have good records of stocks in the creek going back decades but even more interesting we have the recapture records of fish that have grown up in the Twelve Mile and then left.

While most fish stay in the local river system, they have also travelled as far south as Frazer Island and as far north as Townsville.

Who would have guessed a small waterhole could be

so important?

BASS IN SOMERSET Lake Somerset was very low during the mid 2000s dropping down to just 23.6% in 2007. When the floods came in 2010-11 there was still a healthy stock of bass, many of which escaped. As with most impoundments, there

has been a strong tagging program in Somerset.

As a result, we were able to track the escapees into Wivenhoe and even into the Brisbane River. There are quite a number of 500mm+ bass now in the upper Brisbane River, many of these came from Somerset and Wivenhoe in the flood.

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What’s New FISHING

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Pflueger Advanced Rod Technologies (ART) concept is based on using high performance carbon blanks, quality Fuji hardware and the finest in components and actions to deliver a range of rods for the serious Australian lure angler.

Using 30-ton high modulus graphite combined with cutting edge blank actions the Pflueger ART concept was used as the foundation to develop the Supreme XT series.

With actions to suit tournament lure techniques the Supreme XT series has been fitted with quality Fuji components. Fuji KR Alconite guides combine superior casting control and distance with tangle free performance.

Fuji split reel seats are lightweight and functional, allowing full contact with the rod blank and maximum blank exposure for the ultimate in sensitivity and control. Finished with a stylish carbon wrap, camo EVA high density grip system and a carbon wrap stripper guide binding, the Supreme XT series delivers the finest in rod design at a reasonable price.

Price: RRP $179 www.purefishing.com.au

The long awaited Suspending Classic is now available in the 120mm long and 10ft diving depth.

The addition to the range will provide anglers with a neutral buoyancy lure in a saltwater environment that once cranked to the desired depth will hold longer in the strike zone and entice a more aggressive response from predatory fish. Suspending baits can also be useful when the bite is slow and a more subtle, natural presentation is needed.

More weight has been added to the lure, which has also enhanced its sonic output, attracting more action in dirty water and will also provide a longer and more accurate cast.

Suspending lures have the ability to hold at whatever depth they are cranked down to and this model has been tuned to hold in a saltwater environment, which is more buoyant than freshwater. The lure will come with a red suspending series sticker to make it easily identified.

Price: RRP $15.95 www.jmgillies.com.au

PFLUEGER SUPREME XT RODS

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KILWELL PACIFIC LURES

Kilwell, the iconic brand from New Zealand purchased the famous Australian game lure brand Pacific Lures a few years ago and are now re-releasing the Pacific brand with new designs and finishes.

There are 3 models being released in Australia and the first, the Pacific Baitfish, features a natural Kauri Shell head. This lure features a Flat Pusher style head and tracts and runs straight so it can be placed anywhere in a lure spread.

The second model is the Pacific Bullet. This is classic high-speed weighted bullet head that will work in any sea conditions. It features an inner of white feathers with a middle layer of X-Mas Mylar flash and a quality outer skirt.

The third lure the, Pacific Teaser, is a prerigged high-speed tuna lure that features a combination rubber and feather skirt. The Pacific Teaser is rigged with a Maruto AJI #4 Stainless Steel hook, quality leader and is professionally looped and ready to go.

Price: various www.jurofishing.com

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DAIWA ZILLION TW 2015

Inspired by the reputation of its past, the new Zillion TW sets the direction for the future and embraces Daiwa’s newest and most innovative design technologies: Magseal,TWS and Air Rotation to set a new agenda in baitcaster brilliance.

Headlining Zillion TW’s impressive design and performance is Daiwa’s Magseal technology.

Delivering unrivalled protection in spin reels since it was first introduced in 2010, Magseal is a revolutionary system that involves magnetized oil that forms a seal that minimises dust, water and salt intrusion.

This latest iteration of the Zillion name, takes the honours as Daiwa’s first low profile baitcaster to revel in the protection and performance of Magseal technology.

Heralding a new dawn in baitcaster design, the new Zillion TW uses the pedigree of its past with innovation and technology of the future to deliver anglers a new age in performance, and a new age in excellence. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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SUSPENDING CLASSIC 120

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MUSTAD IN-LINE SINGLE

Mustad has released a new single hook design, the In-line Single 10121NPDT. This new single hook’s design is eminently suitable for our local hard hitting and fighting species, whether you are chasing trout on the troll or world record GT on the cast.

With sizes ranging from 8 through to 8/0, the In-line Single has a big eye, a thick gauge and a short length to provide the maximum strength.

The short shank does not allow the hook to bend or catch on the other hook, so you’ll be guaranteed good mileage out of each hook.

These are absolutely perfect for retro-fitting lures for maximum hook-up potential, strength and durability, or even just for replacing hooks of a lower grade and strength.

Mustad In-line Single 10121NDPT hooks have been tested in some of the harshest conditions on the planet to bring you quality, strength and durability.

Price: RRP $12.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

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STUMPJUMPERS NEW COLOURS

Born on the Victorian banks of the mighty Murray River in 1986. The first wooden StumpJumpers fitted the local cod fishing environment perfectly. They dug down deep, had great buoyancy to help them jump over the stumps (hence the name) and were as tough as nails.

These days, with their plastic bodies and successful interchangeable bib system, these lures are some of the greatest cod catchers ever made.

Now, StumpJumpers are adding 5 great new colours to their range, which includes tree frog, bull frog, copper head, jungle perch and silver shiner.

StumpJumper have improve a range that was thought to be unbeatable and these colours are sure to fire not only in the cod scene but also on some of the other luremunching natives this country is famous for.

StumpJumper’s new colours are now available at all good tackle outlets, so go out and grab some!

Price: various www.jmgillies.com.au

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE DAIWA EXIST 2015

The new 2015 Exist improves on previous models with the introduction of innovations and unparalleled designs, combining Magseal, Magseal Bearings, Air Rotor, ATD and Zaion making it Daiwa’s most sensitive, technically advanced reel ever developed.

Given the popularity of saltwater fishing, sealing a reel is a major goal. Reduced water penetration means no corrosion, longer life and better performance. If saltwater infiltrates a reel and dries, it crystallizes, and then erodes gears and bearings.

In order to increase the durability of the reel, Daiwa made sealing the reel structure an absolute priority. Through years of research and development, Daiwa found the solution – a membrane of magnetic oil, which greatly reduces the penetration of saltwater. By using magnetized oil in conjunction with magnets, the oil attaches itself to the metal surfaces to form a seal. The new 2015 Daiwa Exist feels great, has drag to burn, offers unprecedented longevity and sets the NEW benchmark as the worlds most advanced tournament spinning reel. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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MUSTAD DARTER JIGHEADS

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FISH CANDY JELLY CICADA

Darter jigheads are not just another jighead, they are designed to glide on the fall and dart on the retrieve to allow the angler to present their plastics in a very natural and erratic way.

Darter Jigheads add action to curl-tail grubs and paddle-tail soft plastics, and they make stick bait style plastics come alive.

Worked with a rip and drop action or a slow roll, the Mustad Darter Jighead is as effective in the ocean and estuaries as it is in the freshwater lakes and rivers.

With a comprehensive range of sizes with weights from 1.8g (1/16oz) through to 42g (1.5oz) available and using a Mustad heavy duty hook from size 2-7/0 with 34 different jigheads overall, there is sure to be a Mustad Darter Jighead to suit your fishing needs, whether you’re fishing in fresh or saltwater, inshore of offshore.

Price: RRP $8.95 www.wilsonfishing.com

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12 Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

The new Jelly Cicada by Fish Candy is made of soft and super durable 10X material, making it the only Cicada on the market in this Jelly-like material.

This gives it a unique sound when it hits the water and gives the lure a natural feel when attacked by fish. The body is fully wired, making it strong enough to handle big fish.

The hooks used are the world renowned Decoy hooks and are ultra sharp with high tensile steel that resist flex on hook up. The lure is pre rigged with the hook at the rear but another hook point is on the belly if that is your preferred position.

In total there are 7 colours encompassing, glow, UV, translucent and the classic finishes for maximum silhouette exposure.

These lures are sure to prove themselves to a wide variety of native fish including bream, bass, Murray cod, saratoga, barramundi and more.

Price: RRP $18.95 www.river2sea.com.au

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SAMAKI VIBELICIOUS THUMPER TAIL Samaki takes the Vibelicious to the next level with the new Vibelicious Thumper Tail.

Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tail hits the water with a bang; thumping to life as it drops to the depths its action is aggressive yet slow, enabling it to mimic a baitfish perfectly but in a slower motion, all whilst holding its position in the strike zone for a longer period.

The Thumper Tail can be used for traditional vibe techniques but is also a deadly lure for slowly rolling over flats, creek mouths and heavy timber structure, not to mention angling it into drains in those unique situations.

Combine its thumper tail action with its unique patent pending hook holding system, which allows you to cast and retrieve without the error of hook tail wrap or snag errors and you’ve got yourself the most innovative vibe on the market. The Vibelicious Thumper tail will change the way you fish with vibes.

Price: RRP $19.95 www.bluefishimports.com.au

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N.S BLACK HOLE AVENGER RODS N.S Black Hole’s new range of rods, the Avenger series, are made up of stylish rod builds, feather light blanks and a wide range of models from finesse bream to heavy barra, so you’re covered wherever you’re fishing.

The latest additions to the range include 2 ultra light bream rods for finesse fishing and an extra heavy barra rod.

All feature Fuji K guides for maximum castability without tangles and wind knots, wide X wrapping on the blank to reduce torsion and handles designed with a mix of EVA and cork, for a comfortable feel when casting all day.

Made with quality to last a long time, these new rods from N.S Black Hole are sure to make an impact on the Australian tackle industry.

The 3 rods include, S-702UL 7’0” 2-piece 3-6lb, S-762UL 7’6” 2-piece 3-6lb and C-661XH 6’6” 1-piece 12-25lb.

Price: RRP from $310 www.ejtodd.com.au

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BERSERK VIBE 70

The Berserk Vibe 70 is a 70mm 17g vibe with a distinctive rattle like no other.

This lure comes standard with VMC Permasteel hooks, which are 1000 hours corrosion resistant. All Berserk Australia lures are built from quality imported ABS technology. We believe this is a major factor setting us apart from the opposition, making our lures less susceptible to distorting under high heat and High UV exposure ensuring this lure keeps it great tight wobble action longer The B Vibe 70 is available in 5 colours including tiger green, shadow and pink pearl incorporated with UV technology this ensures you have a colour for every situation.

It has a fantastic tight action and after countless hours of testing in all situations in South East Queensland we have released the B Vibe 70 because it is fantastic on such a wide range of species.

Price: RRP $19.95 www.berserkaustralia.com.au

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What’s New FISHING

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S-FACTOR TUBE

It’s finally here! For years now S-Factor has turned a bad fishing trip into a good one by stimulating a bite from those finicky shut down fish.

There was always one problem with the S-Factor – you could never get enough of the stuff! So it was only a matter of time before it was available to the public in a larger and more user-friendly portion.

You no longer need to buy a packet of soft plastics just to get some anymore!

Another great feature is that there will be no leakage from the tubes, meaning nothing will get smelly.

Now available in a 35mL tube, this product will be flying out the shops and straight onto some lures before you know it!

Word on the street is, for now there is only limited stock – so make sure you grab some now before they’re all gone.

Price: Too new www.shimano.com.au

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BERSERK LOCO 60

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FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

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ATOMIC HARDZ 75 AND 85MM MID DEPTHS The Shiner range of lures has expanded with the addition of two new diving depths in the 75 and 85mm versions, which are perfectly balanced for the 2.02.5m depth.

This makes them ideal for anglers chasing mangrove jack, barra and even threadfin up north close to the banks over shallow timber.

One cast and a couple of cranks will have the lure quickly working at depth giving you more time in the strike zone.

The 75mm model is capable of quickly getting to 2.0m while the 85mm will dive to 2.5m. Alongside the existing double deep models capable of depths up to 4.5m, these lures now compliment the range providing a versatile matched offering.

The beauty of these lures is that they can also be trolled with mackerel being caught on both models. They will handle reasonable speeds and feature a tight wobble which sends out vibrations like a stricken baitfish.

Price: RRP $18.00 www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

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SPLIT RING PLIERS

The Loco 60 is a 45mm 6g floating crank bait that crash dives to a depth of 1.8-2m and comes standard with high quality BKK trebles.

The Loco 60s are built from quality imported ABS technology. This is a major factor setting this lure apart from the opposition, making the Loco 60 lures less susceptible to distorting under high heat and high UV exposure. This ensures this lure keeps its great tight wobble action longer.

It is available in 5 colours ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other with the tiger green, shadow and pink pearl incorporated with UV technology and this ensures you have a colour for every situation.

With fantastic success catching bream, flathead, whiting, and bass on this lure all throughout testing in South East Queensland, we’re sure you’ll love it.

Want Quality Go Berserk is their motto and this lure delivers everything you expect from a quality crank bait and more.

Price: RRP $16.95 www.berserkaustralia.com.au

Black Magic has updated their split ring fishing pliers and the new version is available in gold and there are a number of great new features.

They still have their tungsten steel cutters, which slice through braid and heavy mono with ease to make knot tying a simple to give you more time fishing.

The stainless steel jaws remain unchanged and are still the best tool for opening larger split rings. The handles feature a new rubberised strip, making them far more comfortable to use and less likely to slip in the hand while changing split rings.With alloy handles, they retain their lightweight, which is under 180g, and each set comes with a carrying pouch and stretch lanyard. The new plier are also available in gold, which is a new colour.

Black Magic have taken quality split ring pliers and made them even better, ensuring you can change split rings with limited hassle.

Price: RRP $98.95 www.blackmagictackle.com

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BIGFISH SQUID SHIRT

Squid fishing (or eging) has fast become a mainstream form of fishing across the globe especially since the introduction of high-tech rods, reels and egi jigs dedicated to this type of angling.

The Bigfish Squid is the perfect shirt to chase your favourite squid in the shallow bays, reefs and weed beds. An added bonus for the egi fishers is not only will this shirt protect you from the sun and keep you cool at the same time, it’s already ‘inked’ so it won’t matter if you happen to get accidentally blasted with a squirt of squid ink!

Every shirt in the Bigfish range is printed, cut and sewn right here in Australia. They are incredibly soft, cool, lightweight, UPF 50 and made from the highest quality Australian knitted polyester. They set the standard by which every other fishing shirt is judged!

Price: RRP $89.95 www.bigfishgraphics.com.au

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ZEST MICRO LEAF JIGS

The new Zest Micro Leaf Jigs are a fantastic little jig that have been designed in Japan for the popular growing sport of micro jigging.

The Zest Micro Jigs are made to the highest quality, featuring a wire through the body. They are designed with a weight on the tail so that they sink effectively in the current and are scalloped out on the reverse side to increase the fluttering action on the drop, which makes the action of these lures irresistible to hungry predators.

The Zest Micro Jigs are available in both 40 and 60g weights and are available in five awesome, life-like colours. Each lure also features a holographic finish and all come pre-Rigged with quality Twin Assist Hooks.

These lures are a must have for the serious jigging angler, so make sure you grab a few to add to your arsenal before tackling the deep water.

Price: RRP $19.99 www.jurofishing.com

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TESTED: POSEIDON SERIES OMOTO REELS that would take her to task, but in the many lure sets and capture of tuna she did not miss a beat. We had an angler on board that had smaller hands and they remarked how comfortable the handle was for them. I have average size hands and also found the reel to be comfortable to use. Like any reel in this class the robust nature of design and size has some inherent weight involved, so lady and junior anglers will need a harness to control and fight any fish properly.

The Omoto range come fitted with the industry standard harness lugs so this is not an issues.

Leo took the Omoto Poseidon S80 II Speed for a couple of deep drops. Broadbill fishing definitely puts tackle through the ringer. Continuously dropping large baits to over 400m and retrieving not only works the angler but also the reel. He found the reel performed well straight out of the box.

He also pulled the reel I supplied down and had a look (we can’t help ourselves).

He liked what he saw and added a bit of

spooled line on these reels ready for action and while setting drag settings to 1/3 breaking strain we noticed the drag curve to be quite sharp. Drags on these types of reels work via a ramped surface effecting pressure onto the drag washers as the lever is pushed forward. In this instance, the ramp involved is quite steep. Care must be taken when setting reel into and out of free spool so not to have too much drag pressure applied.

He used the reel over a number of weekends dropping baits deep onto a few new spots for broadbill. Unfortunately he did not get tight on a sword, but did manage to reel in some interesting bycatch. Ray’s bream are the food of broadbill in Tasmania and he wound up a number of those from 400m plus. The big surprise was his battle with a southern bluefin that he managed to hook on his broadbill bait. This fish was 35kg and down at 400m. The Omoto handled it with ease and did not raise a sweat. The same cannot be said for Leo.

Opening the box to the Omoto Poseidon S80 II Speed was a lot like finding treasure.

I have played with quite a few reels over the years and it was nice to be asked to put some new reels through their paces.

The reels are from JRoc Tackle’s overhead range from Omoto. I personally had not had anything to do with this brand previously, nor had I heard anything at all so starting with a clean sheet was perfect.

When they arrived I was super impressed with the packaging and could not wait to get them in hand and get a first impression.

The reels that I had been sent where the Omoto Posiedon S50 II Speed and the big daddy of the range, the Omoto Poseidon S80 II Speed.

Lifting the lid on the boxes and the gold glow emanating from within suggested there was some quality anodising involved and this is crucial with any tackle that sees the lions share of its time sitting at the back of a boat in saltwater. The fit up and marrying of machined surfaces was also impressive and that had me looking in the package for what these guys retail for.

At $579 and $590 I was nodding appreciatively. In hand these reels felt very

solid and robust and on turning of the handles they worked smoothly and have a very strong and loud clicker. The big 80 even more so, there would be no mistaking a fish taking line off her.

Not what you would normally do when having a brand new reel in hand, but I thought I might have a look inside one of these reels. There is ample grease from manufacturer and the bearings looked of good quality and ample size. Time to close the reel up and try and catch some fish and give these Omoto reels a run through their paces.

I kept the 50 as we were planning a couple of trips on the tuna, but I had other things in mind for the big Omoto 80. I am lucky to be cobbers with Leo Miller, the lord of the sword down here in Tasmania. I asked if he was keen to give the Omoto a run on one of his broadbill swordfish adventures and he was more than keen to help out. He was also impressed with the finish and quality and was soon spooling her up for her first big outing.

We took the Omoto Posiedon S50 II Speed to Bicheno and gave her a work out on small tuna. We didn’t find anything

The Omoto performed faultlessly while winding the SBT from 400m. his special grease, as he knows full well the strain a large broadbill places on gear and closed her back up.

He mentioned the anodising was thinner than some reels he has owned but I mentioned the price point of $590 and he was super impressed. When we

In conclusion, the positives of these reels are great value, robust design good ergonomics. The only negative is the sharp drag curve. All round these reels are fantastic and I thoroughly recommend them for heavy offshore work.

– Kelly Hunt.

These jellybean albacore were no match for the Omoto we had set for a big yellowfin tuna.

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS! APRIL 2015

81

Nissan’s neat Qashqai BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

First things first, the name: Qashqai is pronounced as cash-kai. Now we’ve got that sorted, let’s look at the car, which in truth would be just as good with any name badge on it.

Based essentially on the Nissan X-Trail platform, the Qashqai is similar in many respects to the now discontinued Nissan Dualis, which also shared the X-Trail platform. There are differences though: the Dualis offered a 7 seat option plus an all-wheeldrive version, while the new chum is strictly a front-wheeldrive 5 seater, albeit with more refinement, poise and yet somewhat expanded in overall size to offer plenty of room for 5 passengers plus a good stack of luggage. So why the name change? Simple; it brings the Qashqai into line with the name Nissan uses in other countries.

And while the Dualis was a strong seller for Nissan, current sales are indicating that the Qashqai is going to be just as profitable, if not better. Powered by both diesel and petrol 4 cylinder engines, there’s an option for everyone looking for a compact and refined car for perhaps city work during the week, a bit of fun in the country on weekends, remembering that the new kid on the block is still only 2 wheel drive. No beach for this baby.

NEW STYLING A FEATURE That one shortcoming aside, the Qashqai is a very sleek and neatly styled SUV that in many respects is distinctly ahead of the former Dualis. While larger, it’s also as modern as tomorrow in aesthetic appeal with the Ti’s big 19” wheels (17” for the ST), while both enjoy a low slung and racy look that compares favourably with other offerings in this highly competitive market segment.

As mentioned, there’s room to spare within, with ample leg and head room, a large rear compartment of 430l as standard fare, and 60/40 split fold rear seating easily lowered flat for further luggage engagement. There’s also a big glass roof overhead to give occupants a glimpse of the moon at night.

ENHANCED SAFETY AND INTERIOR FEATURES All Qashqais feature a five star ANCAP rating, with 6 airbags, stability and traction control, ABS, brake force distribution and power assist, plus a very good reversing

Top: A rear view of the Qashqai exhibits excellent design, with the Ti badge hinting of the luxury within. Middle Left: A user-friendly layout ensures easy operation of controls in the 2015 Qashqai.

Middle Right: A sleek, eye-catching design gives the new Qashqai considerable road presence. Left: With good looks, ample interior room and a modest price, the Qashqai has a lot going for it.

Top: Nineteen inch wheels on a small people mover? On the Qashqai they really look the part.

Above: Ease of loading is assured, thanks to the Nissan’s very generous rear door opening area.

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The 5 passenger Ti Qashqai blends ample interior room with touches of luxury and elegance to complete a very well put together package. and engine come to the fore.

The Qashqai’s ride was very well controlled, the electric steering quite precise although a little slow lockto-lock, with only really severe road undulations causing some unsettling of the car’s rear suspension. Fuel consumption from the petrol 4 was 9.7l/100km, somewhat greater than Nissan’s claimed usage of around the 7.l. Little road noise was evident from the big 19” wheels.

In all, there’s a lot to like about the Qashqai for

“Tinnie Tosser”

82

camera. The Ti offers a very intuitive satellite navigation system on a larger screen than the little brother ST. Overall, the Qashqai’s interior is a big step in the right direction, with ample storage, plenty of refinement in fit and finish, with just the right blend of tonings to impart elegance without excessive opulence.

While passengers will enjoy plenty of personal space, it’s the driver who is really pampered. All electric functions are featured throughout the range, but the Ti as reviewed came equipped with refinement

of a very high level. Such features as high beam assist, intelligent park assist, an around view camera, a lane departure warning system, moving object side detection, blind spot warning system, plus enhanced integration of items such as Facebook and Google, along with the expected telephone system.

Pandora is there for folk with an Android phone, with a Nissan App providing access to many ancillary features.

Also standard within the Ti were daytime running lights, a sunroof, 7” central screen, dual zone climate control air, with a plethora of data on hand via the touch screen. Remaining fuel supply plus distance available is there

at the touch of a button, along with average travel speeds and usage. Braked towing capacity is 1200kg, so quite reasonable for small boat owners.

PETROL OR DIESEL OPTIONS Power for the Ti Qashqai reviewed came courtesy of a 2.l petrol engine outputting 106kW/200Nm of torque, although there is also a

96kW/320Nm 1.6l diesel version available. The direct injection 4 cylinder petrol engine with its variable valve timing was linked to an Xtronic CVT unit, which made very easy buzz-free work of shunting the 1600kg+ Qashqai and occupants in traffic around the city or on busy motorways, where the excellent match of CVT unit

the owner, and quite a bit to compete with so far as other car manufacturers are concerned.

The Qashqai Ti petrol Xtronic CVT is priced at around the $35,000 mark, which is very sharp given the high appointment and feature levels. Warranty is 36 months or 100,000km, whichever comes first.

Longford Riverside Caravan Park BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

There’s some interesting background to this article.

After a 30 year absence, Denise and I managed a look at Tasmania again. This was the real McCoy though. No collecting bags at the airport, hiring wheels for a whistlestop look around; instead we drove to Melbourne, put the car on the Spirit of Tasmania, disembarked at Devonport, and then spent a glorious 3 weeks travelling to various areas to tangle with the island’s trout.

Mind you, there is no gainsaying the quality of the saltwater angling of Tasmania either; a friend of mine enjoying a stay at St Helens in the north of the state caught top quality bream, trevally, even a kingy in the estuary there during his short visit.

But our main interest was

The beautiful Macquarie was still clear, clean, and home to many trout that rose happily last thing of an evening or just on first light. And that’s just what I noticed at the Park, with a great many more kilometres of the Macquarie River to access if desired.

TRAVELLING TO LONGFORD The Bass Highway (Highway 1) from Devonport will lead you towards Launceston and Longford, but

B51, which leads up to the Central Plateau lakes and towns via Cressy and Poatina, or you can easily slip to the east to join the Midland Highway down to Hobart, or across towards Launceston and then head over to explore the towns, waterways and gentle ambience of the north east section of the island state.

A TRULY RELAXING CARAVAN PARK With the Macquarie River as a rear boundary and a belt

stove, refrigerator, microwave unit, big sink and associated barbecue facilities is also very popular. A laundry is also ready for campers’ use.

OUT AND ABOUT IN THE AREA The Longford Riverside Caravan Park is a very handy base for trips to local wineries, historical buildings in the area, and for you and me, easy access to some very promising trout water. While a quite substantial stream flowing through pasture

Left: Denise Kampe having a crack at a couple of trout rising in the Macquarie River, right at the caravan park.

Right: Setting up camp right by the Macquarie River is no biggie at Longford’s Riverside Caravan Park. and farmlands, the Macquarie is classified a ‘tail race’ river.

For the record, tail race streams are those that receive water from an impoundment, and as the water is released from the base, its extreme coolness influences water for a long way down-river. In this situation, it’s water from the Great Lake up on the Central Plateau, which, after passing through the Poatina Power Station, enters Brumby’s Creek and then the Macquarie River, with the junction of these two streams at Cressy, just a short drive away.

Consequently, both Cressys and Brumbys creek and the Macquarie River down from

Top Left and Right: A very well appointed camp kitchen is on hand for the enjoyment of visitors to this peaceful and very well run caravan park. Above Left: Caravan owners can enjoy sites with concrete pads as well as power. Above Right: A barbecue equipped shelter shed is popular with visitors enjoying a stay at the park. the Tassie trout, as we had been too long away from them. The tent was our chosen abode and we moved whenever we chose to, which saw us first devoting time on the water at the meadow streams of the north and midlands, then later moving up onto the Central Plateau, with Miena as a handy base for Arthur’s Lake, Great Lake, plus many of the smaller waterways within an hour’s drive.

Fresh off the ferry, we drove to Longford, where I had stayed 3 decades ago at the Riverside Caravan Park. one well remembered catching a sea trout, a brown trout and a rainbow trout all in the 1 afternoon in the Macquarie River, which forms the eastern boundary of the park.

I was anxious to see if the passage of time had changed the topography, or whether the river had been degraded in any shape or form. For the record, the answer is a gratifying no.

It would be hard to miss the Riverside Caravan Park’s entrance in Archer Street Longford.

there’s no necessity to travel as far as Launceston. The idea is to look for a turnoff to both Longford (and the town of Perth) not far from the Carrick exit as the vehicle heads towards Launceston. The 10km-long road to Longford is marked as the B 52 and leads directly into town, where Archer Street is quite easily located by entering onto Wellington Street, the main street, and turning left opposite Jay Jay’s bakery. The caravan park is prominent at the end of the street.

Longford, is ideally set up to cater for the visitor. There is a well stocked IGA store, a chemist, licensed bakery, cafes and restaurants, service stations, hotels, ample other retail outlets including a large hardware store that also has an extensive fishing section to interest the visitor. Tackle, lures and flies are on hand to cater for both salt and freshwater angling interests.

Longford is also on the

of non-urban development on two other sides, the Longford Caravan Park is a truly relaxing place to either set-up camp or hire an on-site van for a stay. Around 60 powered sites are available, with many having concrete pads for caravans, while there are 50 unpowered sites available, many with a riverside aspect.

There are some mighty shady trees in these grounds, which was handy as we struck a couple of 30° days during our stay at Longford. A 30° day in Tasmania? You bet.

Still, back home there was talk of a category 5 cyclone and a big rain depression, so what’s a bit of warmth when you’re sitting under a big green tree enjoying a complete lack of humidity and the ambience of a caravan park where things were very quiet and the people very friendly.

A pair of amenity blocks are available, while a well equipped kitchen featuring a

the confluence are revered by fly anglers for their great fly hatches and reliable fish activity. The Macquarie, in particular, has over 20km of cooler tail race water right down to its confluence with the South Esk River — a great trout fishery in its own right not far from Longford.

All these streams fish particularly well towards season’s end — the Sunday closest to April 30 — as the fish are really on the job building up strength for spawning. The season then opens in early August, with flooded margins seeing fish chasing frogs and other tucker in the reeds and grass. Fly, spinning and bait

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fishing is allowed in these waters. I saw people catching quite nice trout on worm baits at the park. Redfin, tench, eels and 3 species of trout are also possible.

LAST THOUGHTS Having fished in New Zealand on many occasions, two aspects of our trip were what made it so outstanding by comparison. The first was the fact that everything we needed for our holiday was with us. Our own car, our own camping gear, my fly tying kit, spare rods, plus the Porta Bote on the car’s roof racks for lake work. Best of all though, was the absolute friendliness of other anglers and Tasmanians in general. Maps were drawn of good places to try, flies offered readily and local knowledge freely given.

While I really enjoyed the great stream fishing in NZ, in all truth I never experienced that sort of hospitality when there. And the good people in charge of the pet-friendly Longford Riverside Caravan Park were just the start of that very enjoyable experience. Contact details are: (03) 63911470, mobile (0417) 190 990, or on the net at www.longfordriversidecaravan park.com.

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Grab a crab and catch a craw on a kayak BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

I had a couple of quick stops to make on my paddle back to the small sandy beach where I had launched earlier in the day. On the paddle to one of my favourite flathead banks I had dropped a couple of crab pots along a mangrove edge near the mouth of a drain. Unfortunately on this particular trip the flathead had been plentiful but small and, with only one keeper for dinner, I was hoping that I might luck a mud crab to flesh out the feast.

Slowing my paddle stroke, I allowed the kayak to glide up to the first float and began retrieving the pot. It felt heavy and I could feel movement in the pot, but unfortunately as it broke the surface I could see the large body and small claws of a female crab, which must be released in Queensland. The second pot also felt heavy and as I lifted it into the yak I counted three crabs! Surely one was a buck (male) and legal size. I lifted the pot so that I could see under the crabs, making note of the abdominal flap on the underside of the crab.

The female has a wider

abdominal flap and on closer inspection I had two females and one big buck that would be joining us for dinner.

You’re already loading the yak and fishing gear for your fishing adventure, so it’s pretty simple to add a couple of crab pots to the equation, or opera house traps if you’re fishing the

freshwater. With the Easter weekend upon us, let’s load up and hit the water to chase a few sand crabs (blue swimmer crabs), mud crabs and freshwater yabbies.

A FEW TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED Regardless of the species you are chasing make sure you check the local rules and

A couple of solid mud crabs from a session at 1770 in northern QLD.

Back in they go to grow bigger. Ronny releases a couple of undersized mud crabs.

regulations, including minimum sizes and bag limits, as the authorities stress – ignorance is not an excuse. Commercially made measures are inexpensive and readily available in each state. It’s also important to research the apparatus that you are legally allowed to use, the number you can have in your possession and how

container ready for your next adventure.

Once baited up I lay a hessian bag on the front of the kayak, or across the rear and sit the traps on this to minimise the chance of them slipping from the kayak while travelling. An occy strap is then handy to secure the traps in place, while also being quick and easy to release once you

GEARING UP • Pots or traps • Ropes • Floats • Name Tags • Bait Clips or Bags • Baits • Measure • Hessian Bag • Icebox or Bucket with lid • Occy Straps • String if you tie your crabs • Zip Ties – handy accessory

Brett brings the traps aboard on the final run and loads his catch into the icebox.

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they need to be labelled, with some requiring a light coloured float of a minimum size, with your details clearly written on the float and also a tag with your details on the trap.

These regulations can be located in your local fishing guides or online from your local fisheries website.

Before heading out I like to bait all of my traps, to save messing around when at the mercy of the wind or tide. A bait clip or mesh bait bag and bait clip makes baiting up quick and easy, and a handy tip is to make these up at home the night before, or even load your bait clips in advance and freeze them in a plastic

are ready to deploy your traps or when packing them up after the final check of the day.

Before you get too excited and hit the water in search of these tasty morsels, take the time to consider where you will store them. My preferred option is an icebox in the rear well, as it keeps the catch cool and it’s easy to flip the lid open and drop the angry crabs or yabbies in. Other anglers I know prefer a bucket with lid or a wet hessian bag, but you will soon work out what works for you. If you are confident when it comes to handling and tying mud crabs, this is a good option

and makes their storage and handling safer and easier.

One of the handiest accessories that I have discovered as a kayak angler is the humble zip tie.

Whether it’s securing your traps, replacing a broken latch or acting in place of a bait clip, carrying a few zip ties of varying sizes will get you out of trouble on many occasions. Carrying a spare bait or two is also a good idea, just in case the toadfish and other bait thieves are in action.

SAND CRABS (BLUE SWIMMER CRABS) Generally more plentiful and readily available, especially as you head south down the east coast, the sand crab is smaller than a mud crab but often considered sweeter and more desirable by many seafood lovers.

They are generally located throughout sandy channels and feeding around the weed beds of our rivers and estuaries.

Pots and drop nets are the preferred traps for targeting sand crabs, baited with fish frames or half a mullet. Traps can be checked at regular intervals, especially when using drop nets, as they allow the crabs to enter, eat and move on more easily than enclosed pots. A good idea is to drop the traps at varying depths until you locate where the numbers are concentrated.

MUD CRABS As their name suggests, mud crabs are more commonly located in muddy creeks and along mangrove-lined mud banks. If you look closely in these areas you will often see mud crab holes, resembling burrows in the mud, and placing your pots near these can be effective. Other key areas to target include the mouths

Left: Gearing up for a crabbing session. Right: Male mud crab is easily identified by a narrow flap on the underside. Check your local regulations. of drains and narrow ends of small creeks where the mangroves extend across the mud flats. Following periods of heavy rain, mud crabs are often flushed from their homes and catch rates can increase dramatically. The incoming tide seems to be the most productive, with the mud crabs leaving their holes to explore and feed.

Pots and drop nets are again the preferred traps,

with fish frames and whole mullet cut in half the go-to baits. Mud crabs are a prized catch and are often expensive to purchase from seafood shops.

They are also extremely powerful and capable of inflicting a lot of pain and serious injury, so if you are not familiar with handling a mud crab, either crab with someone who is or release any crabs you are not allowed to keep and

then take the others to the nearest bank to extract them from the trap and store them.

FRESHWATER YABBIES If the sweetwater is your preferred environment then you don’t have to miss out on a tasty feed of crustaceans, with yabbies and shrimp readily available. Opera house traps are the preferred option and it’s

important to note that the funnels must incorporate metal rings of a set diameter to hold them open so that turtles are able to exit the trap should they find themselves inside.

Baits are commonly debated, with some anglers swearing by tins of cat food with holes punched in them, while others prefer slightly boiled potatoes or broccoli, with rockmelon being another

popular option.

During the day catch rates can increase in the deeper water, while at night the yabbies often move into the shallows to feed. Key areas to target include the edges of drop offs, weed beds and around structure such as timber.

Regardless of your target species, the kayak is a fantastic vessel for targeting a feed of crabs or

yabbies. It’s an inexpensive option and you can launch virtually anywhere, access the small creeks and areas that some of these species call home and comfortably carry a few traps on even the smallest kayak. Next time you’re planning a kayak fishing adventure, take a moment to check out what other species are on offer and throw a couple of traps in.

See you on the water.

Left: Brett with a feed of redclaw from his home waters of Lake Somerset. Right: Ronny with a nice blue swimmer from the drop net.

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THE RECREATIONAL ANGLER’S LINK This month I want to touch on a couple of reminders, one about crabbing regulations and another regarding Fish Habitat Areas as a result of a couple of enquiries from some disgruntled fishers.

REMINDERS FOR CRAB SEASON ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• We are well into crab season and will soon be thinking about bream instead of whiting in the South East.

After the half a metre of rainfall we had, the sandies were washed into the bay and the muddies were moving around looking for a feed. There were many happy crabbers out and about, including me. So this is just a reminder to make sure that your crabbing trip has only happy memories.

Here is an excerpt from Fisheries Queensland

about the current crabbing regulations.

During the crabbing season, crabbers should ensure they are aware of all current crabbing rules including size and possession limits as well as crab pot regulations before hitting the water.

‘It’s important for crabbers to be aware of the crabbing limits and other legal requirements to save being nipped with a possible fine’.

‘Crabbers should remember that there

are different size and possession limits as well as measuring methods for the various crab species.

For example, female mud and blue swimmer crabs are no-take species and should be returned to the water immediately.’

‘It is also illegal to possess crabs with the carapace missing and crab meat while at sea unless it is for immediate consumption.’

FQ said crabbers should check their gear before

hitting the water to ensure their equipment complies with legal requirements.

‘In tidal waters, no more than 4 crab pots or dillies, or a combination of both, are permitted to be used by a person at any time. They need to be clearly marked with the owner’s name and address and if using a float, it must also have the owner’s name on it.’

‘All crab apparatus if not secured to a fixed object must have a light coloured surface float attached. The

float must not be less than 15cm in any dimension.’

‘Crab pots should be set below the low tide mark line and be in deep enough water so that marine animals are not exposed to the sun at any time. It is an offence if the apparatus contains fish and is out of the water.’

‘Also, crabbers should ensure their pots have enough rope attached to the float so they are not lost in strong tidal currents.’

‘Interfering with gear

you didn’t set is a serious offence which carries on-the-spot fines of $1138 or maximum penalties up to $55,000. Stealing crabs or crab pots is a criminal offence, so those caught will be referred to the police.’

If you suspect illegal crabbing, whether seen in person or online, report it to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116. Don’t engage the person, as this can compromise an investigation.

SIZE LIMITS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• CRAB

SIZE LIMIT (CM)

POSSESSION LIMIT

MEASUREMENT

Mud crab

15 min

10

This is a measurement across the widest part of the topside of the crab shell (carapace), irrespective if the carpace is damaged in any way.

Blue swimmer or sand crab

11.5 min

no limit

This is taken to be the point immediately forward of the base of the large lateral spine.

Spanner or frog crab

10 min

20

Spanner crabs are measured from the centre spine to the mid carapace base.

FISH HABITAT AREAS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I have recently had some enquiries regarding digging for worms on Peel Island. Peel Island is part of a Fish Habitat Area that includes Goat and Bird Islands.

After asking around, I got quite an array of answers and some from

very experienced rec fishers. They ranged from “I have been digging there since I was a kid,” to “Someone once told me I shouldn’t dig there, but I’m not sure why”. One common response from everyone I spoke to though was that they didn’t notice

any signage. Most of our 70 Fish Habitat Areas were designated inn about 1969, at which time I expect there would have been media.

This accounts for “someone once told me I shouldn’t dig there, but I’m not sure why”.

So, I went to have

a look at a Fish Habitat Area local to me and was quite surprised by what I found. The 2 closest access points had a plethora of signage but nothing about a Fish Habitat Area. There were also no on water signs. What added to the confusion was a Moreton Bay Marine Park Map that indicated that worm digging was allowable in this area.

Fish Habitat Areas are a very valuable tool in protecting selected inshore and estuarine fish habitats to sustain local and regional

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APRIL 2015

www.sunfishqld.com.au

fisheries. But their value would be far greater if more people were aware of them.

Whilst recreational fishing and yabby pumping is allowed in these areas, collection of any other bait, including worms, must only be done by hand. No forks, spades or other implements.

The Hayes Inlet FHA shows significant degradation from spades being used to gather worms.

If you are caught digging worms with forks or spades in these areas the fines are significant.

So this is a timely reminder to maybe check where you collect bait and go fishing to ensure that is not a prohibited activity either in a Fish Habitat Area or Marine Park Zone.

Email: judylynne@sunfishqld.com.au

Fishing Fill-its

Vale Darryl Steel Like most of us, Darryl Steel was always a fisherman, and like most of us he emerged from a group of anglers who fished the rocks, beaches and estuaries with traditional angling equipment.

During the late 60s and into the 70s there was the initial transformation from what we knew to what we were eager to learn more about – sportfishing. Simply put, applying more emphasis into the sport of fishing by honing the skills required to do so with lighter tackle and more sophisticated gear.

He adopted the strategy, as the early members of the Australian National Sportfishing Association liked to put it, “To pit the skill of the angler against the natural ability of the fish”.

During this transformation Darryl was at the forefront, applying his skills with what was arguably at that time, state of the art equipment – what we may now call vintage. He was one of the pioneers of spinning for pelagics including tunas and mackerel, particularly in the Moreton region.

He took his skills on a family ‘round Australia’ tour in his old Land Rover and 13’ Quintrex, where he put his talent to the test enroute with his trusty Hardy fly reel in the NT taking barramundi and other prized fish along

the way, something unheard of at that time.

Down the track Darryl became synonymous with fly fishing and arguably the

Club and had no better joy than outfoxing the ‘big boys’ in their game boats whilst chasing billfish and other pelagics in a 15’ Quinnie,

Darryl was happiest out on the deep blue chasing big fish from a small boat. Photo courtesy of Alan Dolan.

Darryl became synonymous with fly fishing, and in his time wrote about his passion in many publications, including the first ever edition of Fishing Monthly.

Photo courtesy of Alan Dolan.

first angler to take various tunas, including longtail and yellowfin in Moreton Bay. At that time he was a well respected member of the Moreton Bay Gamefishing

something for which he became respected.

At this time he was also an active member of the Brisbane Sportfishing Club, now Moretag, and

served on the committee of that club accepting the role of President on a couple of occasions. He often lectured on various aspects of the burgeoning move towards sportfishing and his talks at the Stephens RSL Hall in Annerley often drew large crowds of anglers eager to learn more about this ‘new’ art. He wrote for various fishing publications and was never averse to offering advice on what he’d learned along his journey.

For what we now assume as the norm, we have the likes of Darryl to thank for the foresight and dedication that he applied. He fished with the elite of sportfishers during his time and led the way to where we are now. This will be his legacy. – Steve Watson

As one of the pioneers for pelagic fishing in Australia, Darryl loved nothing more than locking horns with some serious pelagics on fly tackle. Photo courtesy of Alan Dolan.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2015

DATE DETAILS

CONTACT

APRIL

Apr 18-19

ABBT Basstasstic Bass Fishing Qualifier Cania Dam

Russel Nowlands www.barrabasstasstic.com

Apr 25-26

BASS Electric #2 (12pm-6pm, 6am-12pm) Cania Dam

Les Barber 0428 726 857

MAY

May 3

BASS Electric #3 (7am-1pm) Isis Balancing Storage

Tim Steenhui 0432 770 894

May 9-10

BASS Pro Qualifier #2 Lake Somerset

ABT abt.org.au

May 15-17

Mulloway Marathon Moreton Bay Marine Park www.mullowaymarathon.com.au

Stefan Sawynok 1800 077 001

May 23-24

ABBT Basstasstic Bass Fishing Qualifier Boondooma

Russel Nowlands www.barrabasstasstic.com

May 29-31

King of the Pin Jumpinpin

Don Vogel 0411 958 076

May 31

Daiwa-Hobie Kayak Bass R4 Mary River

Hobiecat Australasia www.hobiefishing.com.au

JUNE

Jun 5-8

Wilson Moreton Bay & Offshore Family Fishing Moreton Bay

Matt 0410 665 933 John 0402 740 163

Jun 6-7

Pottsville Fishing Classic Pottsville/Cabarita

Beven Wise 0412 810 720

For listings please email jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au APRIL 2015

87

SERIES BREAteMd by Berkley Presen

Mark Crompton (10/10, 5.12kg) secured his maiden ABT BREAM win at the Berkley Tweed River BREAM Qualifier.

For Crompton, a plumber from Wilton in NSW, this event was the first time he had fished the Tweed River. With little to go on, Crompton drew on his experience of fishing the Shoalhaven River to identify the key pattern and execute his strategy.

“This was my first visit to the Tweed and with the recent rain I knew it was going to be tough. The water colour gave zero visibility to the bottom so the pre-fish had me rely on my sounders, which I was using for the first time! I found fish on deep rock walls early on my pre-fish.

“After the Friday night briefing we headed to a local club for dinner on the marina where I witnessed schools of bream feeding freely amongst the marina.

I decided to keep things

Crabby Tweed victory simple and target this marina on the first day as I knew if I could see them I could catch them.”

On day one Crompton focussed his efforts on fishing the marina area.

In all 6-7 legal fish were boated giving him a 5/5, 2.11kg tournament limit and placing him 7th in the field. Day two, traditionally harder in ABT tournaments, saw Crompton turn up the heat, landing 12 legal fish during the session and putting himself in the box seat for a top place finish.

“Using my sounder I knew deep under the Marina was clear of any obstructions.

Using dark Cranka Crabs on light line I cast the lure into the shadowed areas of the Marina and let it sit on the bottom. This accounted for most of my fish each day. I filled the remainder of my limits on nearby pontoons and boat hulls. I somehow wrangled out a 930g big bream, which gave me a kicker for my day two bag and pushed my tournament

It was first place winner, Mark Crompton’s first comp on the Tweed.

Lee skips to second place ER CE BOAT 2ND PLA

STORM VENTAFISH®

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888.

88

APRIL 2015

Will Lee, a 28 year old Advertising Consultant at Fishing Monthly Group, secured second place at the Berkley Tweed River BREAM Qualifier. Lee, a longtime ABT angler, was in fourth position after day one and finished strongly with 5/5, 2.19kg to vault up the leaderboard.

Lee shares his event thoughts and technique, “I didn’t prefish as I already had a game plan and didn’t see the point in catching any of those fish before the tournament.

From a location point of view I stuck to the stretch of river between the Chinderah Bridge and the Tumblegum Bridge all weekend. I targeted rock walls with over hanging trees and lay downs in the water. The majority of fish I caught were sitting in about 3m of water.”

Each day Lee made early inroads, filling his five fish tournament limit by 10am. It was then a case of playing the waiting game as the fishing slowed down.

Around midday the larger fish would start to become more active and

aggressive.

“The technique was to skip cast the soft plastic into any shaded areas. If there was not a fish in the shade the trick was to then work the lure down the face of the rock wall and let the lure rest where the wall met the riverbed. The bites were timid so I’d wait roughly three seconds after getting the initial take before setting the hook.

This technique did cost me an upgrade on the first day when I deep hooked a fish which bled a lot and may not have survived the trip back to the weigh in, but in the end it didn’t make a difference to my result.”

In a sea of choices, Lee had no hesitation in using a confidence lure that paid dividends throughout the tournament.

“I used one lure all weekend which was a Z-Man 2.5” Grubz in the motor oil colour. I rigged the Grubz on TT Tournament Series jigheads in size 1/12oz and 1/8oz size 1 hook. To help keep the Grubz on the jigheads, I would use superglue and have a dozen already rigged and glued before each session to save valuable fishing time. I used two tubes of the new S Factor scent throughout the tournament and would reapply the scent to the lure after every fish or every half dozen casts.”

On day two Lee found plenty of bream but was

unable to match the size and quality of his first day effort.

The second placed result illustrates that you should never write off a proven performer, especially when tournament conditions become challenging.

Lee used a Gary Howard Northfork FW702-1 rod teamed with a Shimano

3lb Sunline Sniper Super FC fluorocarbon.

Finally Lee leaves us with this key piece of information, “The Tweed River is loaded with undersize bream, but I knew from past tournaments that the bigger fish tend to bite later in the day and this

Will Lee stuck to his game plan and brought home 2nd place.

Stradic 1000FJ reel spooled with 2lb Berkley Fireline Crystal and 6m of

gave me the confidence to stick with my pattern throughout each session.”

limit over 3kg. My two-day total bag weight ended up over 5kg, which secured me the win.”

“Congratulations to Will Lee (2nd) and Kris Hickson (3rd). It was an extremely well run event with a quality, friendly field. It was a great way

to kick off my 2015 ABT BREAM Series campaign and an event I’ll never forget as my first ABT win.

I’m a firm believer that confidence is key to these tournaments and with the use of quality tackle and sounders my confidence gave me the advantage.”

Cranka Crab

WINNING NOTES

Austackle Big Bream

The Austackle Big Bream was a 930g Tweed River stonker caught by event winner Mark Crompton in the second session.

Winning Tackle

Rod: Daiwa Generation Black Itchy Twitchy 6’10” Reel: Daiwa Sol 2000 Line: 6lb Sunline Super PE Leader: 4lb flurocarbon Lures: Cranka Crabs and Berkley craws in camo colour

Sh Shaded haded A Area

Sit lure on bottom in shaded area

Winning Ways

Crompton credits the use of his Lowrance sounders as key to finding the fish in the stained water of the Tweed River.

Walker steps up for win CE 1ST PLAATER NON-BO Stuart Walker, a 47 year old foreman for Construction Control in Canberra, took out the non-boating division. While Walker didn’t get the chance to prefish for the event it mattered little as he went about making the most

of his time on the water.

Walker was left with work to do after a quiet first session, but quickly turned things around on day two, returning to the weigh-in with the equal largest bag for the tournament to secure a narrow victory.

Walker shares his two days on the water, “On day one I fished with Chris Britton, the area we spent most of the day fishing was the Fingal rock wall. The three fish I caught for the day were in the livewell by

WINNING TACKLE Rod: Shimano 3Zero 1-4kg and LOX 7 foot 1-3kg Reel: Shimano Stradic CI4 1000FA Line: Daiwa 8 braid Accudepth 10lb and 4lb Berkley Nanofil Leader: 3lb Sunline Bream special leader Lures: Bait Breath Rockin Crab rigged on a 1/16oz jighead and 2.5” Z-Man Grubz in motor oil colour rigged on a 1/8oz TT Headlock jighead.

9am. I caught a few other fish during the day but all were undersize. The three fish were all caught on a soft plastic, the Bait Breath Rockin Crab, which was rigged on a 1/16oz jighead.

The technique was to throw tight up against the bank and slow hop the lure down the face.”

On day two Walker was paired with Mark Brown and fished upriver. The session yielded four quality fish that ultimately put Walker in a winning position.

“The four fish I caught came very slowly with a lot of undersize fish in-between. The first fish came around 9am from under the hull of a large boat and was caught on a 2” Z-Man Grubz in bloodworm colour rigged on a 1/16oz TT head lock jighead. The next three fish all came from the one area. We started fishing a

The second session was the winning one for Stuart Walker with a hefty bag. rock wall, but found the fish were out in the deeper water between 2.5 and 3m.

We fished a stretch of water

TOP 10 BOATERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angler

Fish

Weight

Payout

Mark CROMPTON William LEE Kristoffer HICKSON James HOWARTH Ashley BRYANT Steve MORGAN Tom SLATER Scott BUTLER Jamie MCKEOWN Chris BRITTON

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 7/10 8/10 10/10 9/10 10/10 8/10

5.12kg 4.59kg 4.53kg 4.41kg 4.23kg 3.94kg 3.90kg 3.86kg 3.62kg 3.29kg

$2500 + $500 Austackle Big Bream $1200 + 1st Mercury Bonus $1000 + 2nd Mercury Bonus $800 $700 + Duffrods Big Bag (3.19kg) $500 + 3rd Mercury Bonus 1st Yamaha Bonus

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au

about 200m long for the rest of the day catching a lot of smaller fish in-between.

The soft plastic I used here

was a 2.5” Z-Man Grubz in motor oil colour on a 1/8oz TT Headlock jighead,” Walker said.

TOP 10 NON-BOATERS 1 2 3 4

Angler

Fish Weight Payout

Stuart WALKER Simon JOHNSON Jonathan THOMPSON Mathew CAMERON

7/10 7/10 7/10 6/10

2.87kg 2.84kg 2.59kg 2.55kg

6/10 5/10 5/10 3/10 4/10 3/10

1.84kg 1.76kg 1.74kg 1.44kg 1.43kg 1.23kg

5 Beau STARTIN 6 Ryan KENNY 7 Taigan HEATH 8 Chris FINDLAY 9 Aaron CLIFTON 10 Brendan HERDEN

Berkley Prize Pack ($750RRP) Berkley Prize Pack ($500RRP) N.S Blackhole rod Bass Mafia tacklebox/ 13 Fishing Omen Black rod TT/Zman Prize Pack + 3rd Hobie Bonus E.J Todd Prize Pack Pontoon 21/Damiki Prize Pack Tonic sunglasses Spotters sunglasses Spotters sunglasses

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au APRIL 2015

89

a Australi B.A.S.S.ayak Series Nation K

On Sunday February 1, Queensland’s Lake Macdonald hosted the opening round of the 2015 Hobie® B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Kayak Series.

Situated in an idyllic rural setting, just five minutes from Cooroy, and

Magner goes soft for Hobie bass win snub-nosed gar, as well as the target species for the tournament, Australian bass. Anglers pedalled off from the starting line in excellent conditions, and they remained that way for the entire session.

The tournament was a catch-photo-release (CPR) system, with

assortment of lures including crankbaits, spinnerbaits, surface lures, and soft plastics. Anglers spread far and wide on the lake hitting a variety of structure types including lily pads, muddy banks, weed beds, reeds, and drop offs. At the end of the day a relatively small number of anglers, caught, photographed and released their full catch of

Anglers hit the water just after dawn for the start of round one of the 2015 Hobie® B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Kayak Series.

Dave Magner shares the secrets on his Lake McDonald victory.

15 minutes inland from the iconic Queensland tourist town of Noosa, Lake McDonald was the perfect location to host the opening round of the new series.

Lake Macdonald is formed by the damming of 6 Mile Creek, and has a surface area of 260ha, and an average depth of 6m.

The lake is well stocked, with fish species including saratoga, golden perch and

competitors measuring and photographing their bass on the supplied measuring device before releasing them back into the water.

At the conclusion of the session anglers arrived back on shore, placing their key tags on the tag board, filling out their catch cards, and handed their camera cards to the official scorer.

The fishing was tough throughout the session with anglers throwing an

three legal Australian bass for the session.

When all results were calculated and confirmed by the Tournament Director, David Magner from Bundaberg, Queensland, secured the event win.

Catching a 3/3, 123 cm limit for the tournament Magner secured a comfortable win over Glenn Hayter in 2nd,

tournament trails Hayter’s tournament experience shone through with the multiple event winner boating plenty of fish from his very first cast.

Glenn Hayter summed up his day on the water.

“I lost a really good fish on the first cast and had my bag by 7.30am. It then shutdown for an hour, then all hell broke loose between 10 and 11am and I caught around 20 legal fish, including a few upgrades. Then as quickly as it started it stopped, and the action was all over for the session”.

An excited Glen Hayter joins Dave Magner in qualifying for the 2015 Hobie® B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Kayak Australian Championship

Glenn Hayter gives us the tip on his red-hot session in the opening of the 2015 season.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Ways

Reflecting on what he thought gave him the winning edge on the day Magner said. “My basic plan was not to go too far. I figured with the dam being down a bit most of the fish would be in the main basin. I’ve wasted time in previous tournament looking for fish and didn’t want to make that mistake again.

Winning Tackle

Rod: Lox Yoshi 7ft Spin Rod Reel: Shimano Symetre 2500 Line: Berkley Nanofil® 6lb Leader: 12lb Unitika Silver Thread flurocarbon Lure: Rainbow coloured Keitech Fat Swing Impact on a 1/2oz jighead The top five was a who’s who of tournament talent at Lake McDonald.

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888.

90

APRIL 2015

and Stephen Maas in 3rd.

When asked, David Magner summed up his day on the water.

“That is the best I’ve ever fished. To do it on tournament day and claim the win is simply amazing”.

HAYTER REELS IN SECOND Event runner-up Glenn Hayter had a red-hot day at day on McDonald, but failed to get the big bites he needed to claim the event win. A regular on the ABT and Hobie Fishing

TOP 10 KAYAKERS Place

Angler

Total fish

Total Length

Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

David Magner Glenn Hayter Stephen Maas Alan Britcliffe Luke Atkinson Callum Sprott Scott Sandilands Mark Hodlinson Jason Harrip Paul Holmberg

3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1

123 cm 120 cm 119 cm 104 cm 80 cm 76 cm 74 cm 72 cm 72 cm 43 cm

$200 $120 $70 $50 $40

For full result listings, see www.hobiefishing.com.au

Time to gear up and get ready!

This year’s 2015 Wilson Moreton Bay & Offshore Fishing Challenge will be held from June 5-8 operating over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

RBAFC has held this successful event for 24 consecutive years, with the

your chance to walk away with some fantastic prizes.

The major prize for the Seniors this year is a Sea Jay 4.25m Magnum 2 with a 30hp Yamaha 2-stroke, generously provided

by Stones Corner Marine. For the juniors, an awesome kayak package including paddles,

in this pack. This year we have Bonza back on board with a wicked Bonza fish measuring sticker. There will of course be lots of Wilson goodies and other goodies from various sponsors.

Over the weekend there will be numerous tent stalls

Seniors lucky hat draw – anyone can be a winner! continued support of Wilson and Stones Corner Marine.

These two great companies have supported this popular event for the past several years straight, which attracts the locals of the Redlands and keen anglers from South East Queensland.

This year the entertainment is based on the whole family coming down and spending some quality time with family and friends, with rides and face painting for the kids, music on the main stage to suit all. And for a first this year we will be having some fishing simulator games for the big and little kids that will have prizes involved at the end of the comp.

Adults can always just relax in the bar and tell a few stories about those tight lines that never got resolved! With

trolley and PFDs, and a $500 BCF voucher.

If you are not lucky enough to claim a prize during the competition, there will be ongoing raffles throughout the event for your chance to win some fantastic products.

Secure your place in this year’s competition, so that your family and friends can have an exceptional long weekend at our venue which is located at Redland Bay Amateur Fishing Club, 247 The Esplanade, Redland Bay. Tickets will be at a cost of $120 per senior and $30 for juniors, which are under 16 years of age. Register early to get in quick and receive your early bird prize pack.

Entry forms are available for download at www.rbafc.org. au or you can contact Matt on

2014’s Major prize winner. This year it will be a Sea Jay 4.25m Magnum 2 with a 30hp Yamaha 2-stroke. the four bay public boat ramp only metres away from our great facility and the local QF7 – Redland Bay Coast guard located at the ramp, it makes the competition experience that little easier.

This year’s challenge has great cash and prizes to be given away worth tens of thousands of dollars. You don’t even have to catch a fish during the competition, you just have to be entered in the comp for

0415 149 350.

You can also pick up a copy from Mossops Bait & Tackle Cleveland, Stones Corner Marine, Victoria Point Bait & Tackle and Auto Parts Victoria Point. Also keep your eye out in the local Redland City Bulletin.

Early entry this year will be as last year with the first 200 entries receiving a Wilson pack valued at $80. Last year we had the Bonza brag mats, included

from sponsors like Wilson and Mossops where you will be able to talk the talk and get some great advice on new products. Stones Corner Marine will have a couple of different boating packages to view, so be sure to check these out.

The fishing categories include, Senior, Ladies and Juniors with daily prizes – 5 daily Junior and 10 Senior calls for the lucky hat – this puts you in the draw for a chance to win the major prize. During the weekend there are plenty of chances to win great prizes including magazine draw.

There are always so many awesome prizes to give away thanks to our great ongoing sponsors. And of course we will be covered from the elements and seated by Events in Tents, who have supplied all our needs including the great big food wagon that we all love.

Last year we introduced some new and exciting categories. This year we will be returning these three major categories where there will be guaranteed winners: There is the Mossops Bait & Tackle ‘Secret Weight’. This will be a nominated fish for Seniors and Juniors; Seniors will be snapper and Juniors will be bream.

The Bonza Graphics ‘Catch and Release Flathead’ which will be the largest flathead caught. This will require a photo taken of the fish on a brag mat or sticker with your entry tag in view.

The third new category is the Wilson ‘Grand Slam’.

This will entail offshore and inshore sections. Offshore will be an accumulation of weight for snapper, pearl perch, sweet lip and cobia. Inshore will be whiting, bream, snapper and mulloway.

There will be the usual fish prizes: Big Knobby Club, Kilo Bream Club, 40cm Whiting Club, flathead, snapper, pearl perch, mulloway, pelagic, sweetlip, tailor and cobia.

General prize categories will include 10 Junior and 10

Senior daily picks of the board, 5 daily Junior lucky draws and 10 daily Senior draws to be in the final for possibly winning the major prizes. There will also be many raffles going around each day for that extra chance to win. All prizes are supplied by our valued sponsors.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR GREAT SPONSORS! Special thanks to our all our valued Sponsors: Wilson, Bonza Graphics, Events in Tents, Stones Corner Marine, Mossops Bait & Tackle, Redland City Council, Nautilus Marine Insurance, Toll, Battery World, Moreton Bay Charters, Hayes Crab Pots, Auto Parts Victoria Point Redlands Marine, Bush ‘n’ Beach Fishing Magazine, Bayside Suzuki Marine, REA Solar, Alvey Reels Australia, Bayside Boat Licencing, Queensland Trailer Spares, Launch & Retrieve Boatlatch, Arctic Ice Works, AW Images, BCF, Wedderburn Scales, Inkjet Toner Refills, Water Tower Bait & Tackle, P & A Bricklaying, Redland City Glass & Aluminium, Boatcatch, Bob’s Painting, Stradbroke Island Holidays, Mitre 10 Redland Bay, The Leather Doctor, Fishing Monthly Magazine, Pool

The Juniors don’t go home empty-handed, they will take home a kayak package like this one from 2014.

Leak Services, Discount Drug Stores Redland Bay, Greenscene Landscaping, L & S Carpentry & Constructions, Fraser View Holiday Letting, Redland Bay Quality Meats,

CAL Plumbing, Bay FM, and Scurry Plumbing.

Hope to see you there and tight lines to all! – 2015 RBAFC Challenge Coordinators

5th – 8th June Queens Birthday long weekend

Junior Major Prize – 2 kayaks, paddles, trolley & PFD’s & $500 BCF Voucher Picture shown is last years boat wrap

LUCKY DRAWS, DAILY DRAWS RAFFLES, BUSINESS CARD DRAW AND LOTS MORE

Senior Major Prize - Sea Jay 4.25m Magnum 2 with Yamaha 30hp 2 stroke including boat wrap

First 200 entrants receive a free gift bag valued at over $80 So DONT delay!!!!

Fishing Good Food Live Music Friendship

You don’t even need to fish to be in with a chance for lots of prizes. Get yourself an entry form from our website and come along for a fun family weekend. Rides and activities for the kids too!

Big Knobby Club -Kilo Bream 40cm Whiting Club -Snapper Pearl Perch –Jew -Pelagic Sweet Lip-Tailor -Cobia

Senior $120 Junior $30

3 Major Categories Secret Weight

Seniors (snapper)$300 cash & $300 prizes Juniors (bream) $200 cash & $500 prizes

Grand Slam (combined weight of 4 species) Inshore $500 cash & $1000 prizes Offshore $500 cash & $1000 prizes

Catch & Release largest flathead

Seniors - $300 cash & $300 prizes Ladies - $200 cash & $200 prizes Juniors - $400 prizes

Download entry forms from our website from mid April at www.rbafc.org.au Email- mattfishingchallenge@gmail.com APRIL 2015

91

VMR Hervey Bay Family Fishing There were 481 entries (seniors 344, juniors 137) in the 23rd Annual VMR Hervey Bay Family Fishing competition organised by The Hervey Bay Boat Club Fishing and Social Club from 5-8 March.

The event was a huge success and the weather and fishing conditions were good for the weekend.

Entrants enjoyed a great weekend of socialising and winning hundreds of prizes at Dayman Park and there was plenty of hot food and cold drinks supplied by members of The Rotary Club of Hervey Bay Sunrise and lots of cold drinks thanks to XXXX and the hard working committee and members of the Fishing Club.

The live weigh-in was sponsored by Fishermans Corner Hervey Bay and 26 bream, 20 flathead and 26 whiting, a total of 72

fish, were returned to the water alive.

There were hundreds

Tim McLaughlin helps Luke Hislop with his 28.6kg cobia.

for sale on

Great looking rig with 225 OptiMax, Lowrance HDS12, iPilot and full boat covers.

tremendous support of the many great sponsors of the competition.

The senior super draw prize was won by Lorna Peters who chose the $5,000 cash prize rather than the $8,000 boat.

The junior super draw prizes were a lap top computer from Wide Bay Motor Group and was won by Marcus Herdman of Torquay. The kayak from the Boat Club Power Boat Squadron was won by Broly Arthur of Urangan.

Each day there were lucky draws for $1,000 cash from the Boat Club and the winners were Shannon Daveson of Point Vernon, Joshua Ozanne of Toogoom and Nigel Shapland of River Heads.

Early entry draw winners were Don Stewart of Ferney Hills who won the senior’s $250 of tackle, and Lucas Kapernick of Torquay who won the junior’s $100 of tackle.

Five species of fish

92

and three species were allocated for the live weigh in. Seniors weighing in the overall heaviest fish of each section in the live and dead weigh ins received a Fraser Island ice box.

Auto Marine Electrical, red emperor 7.865kg Phillip O’Donoghue, bluey 11.495kg Kurtis Muller, mulloway 5.380kg Terry Young.

The live weigh in was solely sponsored by Fishermans Corner Hervey Bay and winners were: whiting 492g Steve Binney; bream 1.032kg Simon Goss; flathead 2.524kg Wolfgang Kager; Water Snake electric outboard Carl Garber.

Memorial Trophy winners were: John Hogan Trophy – Paul Wedel, Lawrie Brown Trophy – Tom Gillies; Neil Davey Trophy – Kim Hutchison; Ian Bates Trophy – Doug Baldwin; Rex Ford Trophy – Stanley Moller.

Lots of fish were donated to the fishing club each day, filleted by Urangan Fisheries and delivered to Masters Lodge.

Organisers of the event, The Boat Club Fishing and Social Club are very happy with the way the competition went and most thankful to all the sponsors and the 481 entrants for their support and hope to see them all again at next year’s competition to be held 10-13 March 2016.

– The Boat Club Fishing

AUSTRALIA WIDE

CAR & BOAT WRAPS

$42,000 QLD

Dead weigh in winners were: Any Other Species – cobia 28.6kg Luke Hislop; coral bream 1.416kg Brian Jacobsen, whiting 402g Steve Binney; blackall 6.665kg Jason Wheeler; golden trevally 8.115kg Peter Ford; bream 0.882kg John Godfrey.

The Any Other Species Presidents Choice best fish prizes went to: $1,000 for Best Fish, cobia 28.6 Luke Hislop and 3 VHF radios from Bay

Jordan Hislop, 9-year-old, with a cracking blackall.

BOAT FOR SALE

LIKE ‘TOURNAMENTBOATS.COM.AU’ ON FACEBOOK FOR AUTOMATIC UPDATES APRIL 2015

and the any other species category were eligible for the dead weigh in,

Zac Sadler with his 2.104kg coral bream.

Lincoln Hislop had a ball at the comp.

There are plenty of prizes for juniors.

Triton TR20

of prizes to win for catching fish and in the lucky draws. Thanks to the

AND ALL YOUR SIGNAGE NEEDS 0413 113 828

xfactorsigns@bigpond.com

King of the Pin returns in 2015 Sundowners Fishing Club is once again proud to present one of South East Queensland’s longest running fishing competitions, the King of the Pin. Clear your calendar and mark off the 29-31 May for a top fishing weekend.

The popular event has been running for over 35 years and, like previous years, the Beenleigh Special School will be the sole beneficiary.

The competition was originally only fished for the biggest bream, which the Jumpinpin area is know for, but now there are 4 more species to target: mulloway, tailor, bream and flathead.

There will be a stack of prizes to be won, including $2,000 cash for the Seniors’ Heaviest Species Random Draw and an Anaconda prize pack for the Junior entrants.

All participants will be eligible to go into the draw to win a boat package worth $8,000 and a houseboat holiday worth over $2,000.

All prizes will be drawn after the weigh in, but make sure you have your receipt or it will be redrawn.

The weigh in will be held at the Gem Hotel, Cnr Rotary

Rd and Jacobs Well Road, Alberton on Sunday 31st May between 11-1pm.

Entry tickets must be purchased before 5pm Saturday 30th May. Adults are $30 and Juniors are $15

(15 years and under).

There are many new sponsors this year, with Club Marine taking the biggest stake in the comp, and new-comers Spotters, Camp Lake Fire, Sports

Tuition, local MP Bert Van Manen, JC Signs, Hooked On Line, Cabbage Tree Bait and Tackle, and Inox.

Special thanks to long term sponsors Yatala Outboard Wreckers who have

been there from the beginning and donate safety packs and various other giveaways every competition.

Junior giveaways sponsored by Camp Lake Fire and Sports Tuition as



well as junior activities by Lucky Strike Lures.

For more information please visit King of the Pin Facebook page or www. sundownersfishing.com.

– Don Vogel

Country Fishing Classics Catch and release plus deadweight sections - “No live well required”

Target Species: • Barramundi • Bass • Golden Perch

Grand Final:

IN PRIZES TO BE WON

BY RANDOM DRAW!

• Saratoga • Catfish

Dates and Locations:

  Entry Fees:

100,000

over $

Includes: Senior and Junior Boat Packages!

Supports and Promotes Sustainable Fishing

Part of proceeds go to local fish stocking associations

BP Dam (Murgon)

Family affordable!

Grand Final: Seniors $40 (Early Bird $35)

18th – 19th April 2015

Juniors: (16 & under) $15

Mailing Address: PO Box 3473, LOGANHOLME QLD 4129 Fax: (07) 3806 3031 Email: info@countryfc.com.au www.countryfc.com.au APRIL 2015

93

risbane DaiwaMB Classic BREA Steve Eldred and Aaron Sharp once again showed their sharp dominance on Moreton Bay with victory in the Daiwa Brisbane BREAM Classic held at the Tinnie and

Atomic charge to tackle show victory pair worked their way around the island, jumping from point to point as they drift fished with the incoming tide.

“While the island holds plenty of fish we find the points are the locations that consistently hold bigger

Drift adjacent to points

Slow retrieve Threading lure between weed patches

Steve Eldred ties on another Atomic Crank in preparation for day two.

Tackle Show at Manly, 6-7 March.

Grabbing the lead on day one Eldred and Sharp were never bettered with the experienced breaming duo fishing their beloved Mudd Island to relegate a fast finishing Team JML/ Keitech (Jamie McKeown and Trent West) to 2nd place and Team Shads (Shane and Nathan Wolhuter) to 3rd place.

For Team Atomic is was a victory built on years of experience fishing Moreton Bay, and a tournament location that they only fish during tournaments.

“We never fish Mud Island socially, we only fish it during a tournament, that way we don’t over fish it,” explained Steve Eldred.

Heading straight there from the startline at Manly Harbour on day one the

The prize winners for The Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show tickets were: D Richter of Toogoolawah, P Lee of Morayfield, B Ferrington of Palm Beach, T Eisentrager of Warner, L Canning of Upper Kedron, B Duce of Southport, K Windle of Warwick, W Wood of Keppel Sands, S Beverley of Yengarie, J Grace of Mount Keira.

Each winner won two tickets to the show. – QFM APRIL 2015

upright and start swaying in the current. The fish could easily move through the weed and feed on baitfish,” said Sharp.

With this in mind the pair would once again cast their cranks past the point, this time threading their lures through the weed

Steve Eldred and Aaron Sharp with the 3.44kg day one bag that anchored their victory.

SHOW TICKET PRIZE WINNER

94

fish,” said Aaron Sharp.

With the incoming tide flooding the points and the fish moving in to feed the pair would drift along adjacent to the point and cast their Atomic Crank 38s across the point then retrieve them back with a slow retrieve.

The approach would deliver a steady stream of fish but it was when the incoming tide got to just the right height that the bite really fired.

“The points has weed growing at them and once the tide came in enough the weed would stand fully

Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Mid (muddy prawn), and Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Deep (matt ayu)

and into the path of the waiting bream.

The approach was spot on with the pair catching their bag by 8.30am on the first morning. With a slow down in the bite in the middle of the day Sharp and Eldred would take a break, have a bite to eat,

and refresh themselves for the final push towards the end of the session. This renewed focus paid off with the pair picking up two upgrades with 45min to go in the session.

Weighing in a 3.44kg bag for the day the pair held a comfortable lead over their challengers, day two however would prove the test of their mettle.

Picking up where they left off on day one the pair once again went for their point approach rolling Atomic Cranks across the flood points and through the standing weed.

“The water had a real tannin colour to it for some reason and the fish didn’t want to play or bite like they did the day before.

We didn’t let this get to

us, we just plugged away confident that the fish would ultimately come,” said Sharp.

And with a rest break in the middle of the day, and confidence that it would happen the pair caught the last fish for their limit at 1pm. One more upgrade followed to see them hit the stage and weigh-in a 2.73kg limit. Weighing in the second heaviest limit for the day the pair’s confidence and patience was rewarded delivering them a 390g win.

Storming through for second Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888.

CE 2ND PLA

For event runners up Jamie McKeown and Trent West it was a red-hot day two that saw the pair storm through the field from 2nd last place to secure a podium finish and claim some confidence heading into tournament season 2015.

For McKeown and West it was a podium finish delivered on the back of two days of crankbaiting the rock walls in the lower Brisbane River.

“We fished two locations, the Pinkenba rock wall and a rock wall near Fishermans Island,” said Jamie McKeown.

With their boat positioned tight to the rockwalls the pair would cast their crankbaits, Ecogear SX40 and CX35 in colour 537, tight against the walls, then roll and bump then along the rocks below.

Jamie McKeown sacked the biggest bag of bream on the final day to charge through and claim 2nd place.

“We’d often throw our cranks so close to the walls that we’d throw them up onto the rocks.

It was important to get them this close because you wanted you lure to be grinding and bumping its way along the rock wall

The calm before the storm.

not swimming clear of the wall,” said McKeown.

With their lures in the zones the bites were quick in coming with the pair filling their limit by 7am each morning.

“Our biggest fish came early and it was rare to catch

Teams headed out each day to do battle with Moreton Bay’s XOS bream.

Grayson Fong and Tom Slater from Team Tide Apparel. an upgrade after the initial early hot bite each session”, explained McKeown.

Catching 20-30 fish each day the pair’s lure loses were equally high.

“We would have lost around 30 lures for the tournament. But I guess that’s the price you pay

when you’re throwing lures into unforgiving country on very light line,” said McKeown.

The pair’s light line, rock wall approach paid off, especially on day two when they delivered the heaviest bag for the day to the tournament scales.

Weighing in a 2.73kg bag it was a limit that was enough to leapfrog them from second last to second place.

The strong finish saw the pair pick up a cheque and pencil their names in as one of the teams to watch at the QLD BREAM Open later in the year.

WINNING NOTES

Winning Ways

Fishing the deep points of Mud Island, Sharp and Eldred found the best fish sitting in the standing weed that was being flushed with oxygenated water on the incoming tide.

Winning Tackle

Rod: Samurai Reaction 101 and 203 Reel: Daiwa Steez 2004 Line: 2.5 and 3lb Unitika Silver Thread fluorocarbon Lure: Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Mid (muddy prawn), and Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Deep (matt ayu)

RESULTS

Shane and Nathan Wolhuter (Team Shads) finished in third place

Place Angler

Fish

Weight Payout

1 2 3 4 5 6

10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 6/10 5/10

6.17 5.78 5.39 5.22 3.29 1.90

ATOMIC: Aaron Sharp & Steve Eldred JML/KEITECH: Trent West & Jamie McKeown SHADS: Shane Wolhuter & Nathan Wolhuter TIDE APPAREL: Tom Slater & Grayson Fong TT LURES/ECOGEAR/NORDIC STAGE: James Howarth & Jesse Gough SNIPER: Luke Rogan & Gavin Swifte

$700 $500

For full result listings, see www.abt.org.au APRIL 2015

95

Trailer Feature

Buying a new trailer for your pride and joy Whether you’re selecting a new trailer for your old trailerboat, or picking a new trailer for your new boat, you’ll soon be confronted with the massive amount of choice when it comes to optioning a trailer to get your boat to and from the ramp in one piece. Understanding the options available is pretty important, because not all trailers are suitable for all hulls. We’ll have a look at some of the choices here and what’s available.

FRAME TYPES

Historically, you could have three choices for your trailer frames – steel, steel or steel. Mostly it was galvanised (coated in Zinc) that was pretty good in withstanding a life in and out of salt water.

But starting with some imported trailers and now available locally, bent I-beam aluminium framed trailers are available for most sizes of trailerboats.

Of course, aluminium doesn’t corrode anywhere near as quickly as steel and an I-beam can be bent to a shape that suits trailer manufacture perfectly (see the cool Quintrex Trailer QR code hereabouts to watch it happen).

Aluminium I-Beam trailers aren’t made from 100% aluminium. A lot of the cross members and gear that holds the skids or rollers are still steel, however these parts are usually modular and can be replaced quite easily if excessive corrosion occurs.

One of the big advantages of the aluminium frame is that it’s fully open to the air and can be hosed down easily at the end of the trip. Some of the steel box-sections in boat trailers can trap water and nobody wants salty water connected with their trailer frame for long periods.

WHEELS

Again a quite modern trend is the use of alloy wheels on boat trailers.

Historically, most trailers would come with steel wheels, which would work fine, but were subject to corrosion. They were also quite ugly.

Nowadays most of the wheels you’ll see in a boatyard are alloy, and the range of designs is increasing each year. Don’t fall into the trap, though, of buying car mags and dumping them on your trailer – often the offsets are wrong and purpose-built alloy trailer wheels are more suitable for the marine environment.

Every year, make sure that you crack all of the trailer wheel nuts and give the bolts a quick clean and a dab of grease before re-tightening them.

This will mean that when you do have to change a flat tyre, the nuts will crack easily. There’s nothing worse than sitting on the side of the road, jumping up and down on a wheel brace to break the corrosion seal!

We’ve all been there and

PUT THE

RIGHT

TRAILER UNDER YOUR BOAT...

done that and don’t want to do it again.

WINCH

I’m a big fan of keeping it simple whenever possible, so for me, a small boat should be wound on and a big boat should be driven on a trailer. If you need an electric winch to retrieve your small trailerboat, then something has gone wrong somewhere with the design, or you’re fishing well into your later years (which is the definition of success in life).

With a drive-on rig, the winch basically holds the bow of the boat firm while trailering and most of the force to load the craft comes from the outboard.

With a wind-on setup, there’s more of a choice involved in what you use to connect the winch to the boat: wire, webbing or GSP. Heavy duty multistrand wire has been used since the dawn of trailerboats to hook-up and wind-up. It’s cheap and strong, but it does fray and always seems

to find its way into your fingers when you’re being the human level-wind while cranking the winch.

A better option is webbing strap – the same as your seatbelts are made of in your car. It’s minimal stretch and there’s no metallic daggers hanging off it while you retrieve, but you do need to be careful layering it onto your winch. Starve it of attention and it’ll bunch one side or another and tear after a bit of neglect. Still – if it does break, you can always

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Trailer Feature

what’s available?

AXLES

This quality aluminium I Beam trailer looks great and is extremely functional.

BUNKS OR ROLLERS?

complexity that dunks itself into saltwater a couple of times a trip.

Mechanical brakes (where your tow hitch pushes a lever that activates your calipers via a length of wire) are simple to maintain if you are on top of your game.

Over tightening them is just as bad as having the wire too loose. One results in not stopping, the other results in red-hot brake discs.

Hydraulic systems use feedback from the hitch to activate the calipers via a length of hydraulic pipe.

To me, it’s a more accurate way of delivering the right pressure to the discs.

Although we’re covering this last, it’s probably the most important decision when it comes to cradling your hull. Which one that is suitable for your boat may well come down to your launching conditions. If you always launch on deep ramps and can drive the boat on to the trailer, bunks will offer great support and security for your boat – especially glass boats.

But if you like beach launching or need to wind up the hull, then rollers

may be by far the best option. Make sure that you have enough rollers to adequately protect the hull between the launch and home. Too few and there’ll be pressure points that will give after time. Too many and the trailer will cost you a mint.

TALK TO THE EXPERTS

If you think that it’s all too hard, talk to a specialist trailer distributor or manufacturer. They do this for a living and there’s a few advertising in this issue.

QXFMTR001

Single or twin? Apart from regulatory decisions (once the rig gets up around 1.4t, you must go double-axle), there’s plenty of reasons to pick a twin-axle trailer if it’s an option.

I like the safety of a second axle. Get a blowout on the highway at 100km/h and the second wheel is a real safety bonus. Single axle trailers don’t have that margin for error. Additionally, I reckon that a twin axle trailer tracks more accurately and is less inclined to wander around on a rough bit of road.

Of course, the twin axle rig may not suit if you need to manoeuvre around in a garage, because you can’t simply pull a twin axle around on itself unless you invest in a set of go-jacks.

Winching is sometimes the only option on rougher boat ramps or while bush-launching. tie a knot to the boat hook to get you home.

The best option, in my opinion, are the aftermarket polyethylene non-stretch trainer winch cords. These are no-splinter, no rust, no stretch and non-bunching.

Just wind them and let it lie where it lies.

LIGHTS

Like winch cables, for me, there’s no argument when it comes to what type of lights should go on the back of a boat trailer, and that’s LED. We’ve all had our time pulling apart the old bulb and bell-housing trailer lights – usually the night

before we go fishing, because for the hundredth time since we got them, they have succumbed to vibration and the elements.

LED lights are less susceptible to both of these failure-creators. They’re generally fully sealed – often all the way to the connecting plug and LEDs don’t have the delicate tungsten wires that rattle to death any time you hit a pothole or venture off-road.

The best part about the LED technology is that it’s now ridiculously cheap compared to when it was released, so there’s no excuse not to have them on your next trailer.

Twin rigs also cost a little more to tow – you’re dragging that extra weight and friction all around the place.

If you’re stuck between the two and don’t have a reason to go for the single axle – get a double.

Built tough by the best boat guys in the business.

Trailers can be optioned up with a swing away draw bar if you have size restrictions in your yard or garage.

BRAKES

Stopping is important.

Real important. Especially when you run into that Monday afternoon end-oflong-weekend traffic queue and you’re daydreaming listening to the cricket.

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a maintenance free brake system – you need to constantly adjust and maintain anything of that

Swing up jockey wheels are standard across the range.

Extensively tested, undergoing a simulated 100,000km around a specialist Army ‘Torture’ test track.

Constructed from rolled aluminium I-Beam creating an overall stronger frame with no weak points and less flex.

The first aluminium trailer suited for boats as small as 4.2m.

All Quintrex alloy trailers have drive on capabilities.

Our range has a proven lifespan 3 times longer than steel trailers (aluminium is extra resilient to rust and corrosion).

You love our boats, now you can love our trailers. The new range of Quintrex aluminium trailers are perfect for your current Quinnie or as an upgrade for your existing boat. We’ve built in some unbeatable features and created a range big enough to match a long list of old and new boat sizes.

See the full range and find your nearest dealer at quintrex.com.au

Rollers can make launching in rough areas easier with big fibreglass boats.

APRIL 2015

97

Trailer Feature 1

Bonanza Trailers for boats and other uses

When it comes to galvanised trailers, Bonanza Trailer have you covered - they supply quality galvanised trailers of all shapes and sizes to the public.

Boat trailers are apart of this range and they have a model to suit most needs - from your basic small fold up trailer perfect for the travelling nomad, right through to your tandem axle models build for those larger offshore vessels and bass boats. As well as providing a range of boat trailers they also supply other trailer models to suit your needs such as box, flat top, car, bike and hydraulic models.

Bonanza trailers stand by the quality and value for money of their trailers. They are located at Salamander Bay in the Hunter region of NSW and would love to talk to you about your new trailer and give you the best price possible. www.bonanzatrailers.com.au

2

Quintrex’s Offers new Alloy Trailer for 4m Tinnies and bigger

Quintrex’s newest trailer releases are some of the smallest aluminium boat trailers on the market, so you don’t need to compromise the quality of your tinnie boating package anymore.

Quintrex Trailer Manager Sam Phelan said after moving into the Aluminium Trailer market it was clear there was a gap in the industry for cost affective alloy trailers suited especially for small aluminium tinnies around the 4.2m to 4.5m in length.

“We have released the new 749kg and 1098kg alloy trailers late last year and we’ve had a really good reception from our dealer network with customers happy to upgrade to the benefits of alloy trailer for their boating package,” Sam said.

“You can get these trailers as part of your new boating package or as an upgrade for your existing boat.”

“Now with trailers specially built for boats 4.2m-4.5m in length, you’d be crazy not to make the switch as alloy trailers tend to have lifespan 3 times better than their steel counterparts,” Sam added.

With a range of features, Quintrex trailers are easy to use and operate and

See how Quintrex I-Beam Trailers are made.

have been extensively tested to ensure they stand the test of time and the harsh conditions of Australian roads.

Quintrex Alloy Trailers have been constructed from rolled aluminium I-Beam creating an overall stronger frame with no weak points and less flex and have been extensively tested, undergoing a simulated 100,000km around a specialist Army ‘Torture’ test track.

The new 749kg and 1098kg alloy trailers feature swing up jockey wheels, adjustable skids and keel rollers while the 98

APRIL 2015

aluminium frame is long lasting and more resilient to rust and corrosion.

To view the complete range of Quintrex Trailers head to www.quintrex. com.au or visit your local Quintrex dealer for more information. www.quintrex.com.au

3

Ausmarine Seatrail Trailers value for money

If you’re after value for money in a trailer you should definitely check out the Seatrail range. Ausmarine distributes and sells the full range of Seatrail trailers in both galvanised steel and aluminium frame models. Seatrail trailers range from small, lightweight folding models for small tinnies up to heavy roller trailers for 6.5m hulls with 2000kg ATM. Ausmarine can also have galvanised steel and aluminium trailers powder coated in different colours, a new option available should boat owners want to match their trailer to their boat or car paint.

New to the range is the Seatraill 4.6m trailer that is designed to take boats to 4.7m with ATM of under 750kg (not requiring brakes), and is available with either skid or rollers. This model is available in both aluminium and galvanized steel frame.

As well as producing a great range of boat trailers, Ausmarine also have a range of popular box trailers, car trailers and camper trailers. Accessories required for trailer upgrades and maintenance are also available. The range includes wheel bearings, spare wheel brackets, jockey wheels, LED lights, and spare wheels, all at very competitive prices.

For the full range of Seatrail trailers starting from under $1000, and accessories go to www.ausmarine.biz or for more information call (02) 9792 6000. To find your nearest dealer follow the prompts on their website.

While you’re on their website also check out their range of Seacraft aluminium boats from 2.1m – 4.5m and their range of 2-stroke and 4-stroke SeaKing outboards. – FMG

Bonanza Trailers 1

Quintrex Trailers 2

Ausmarine Seatrail 3 Trailers

www.ausmarine.biz

4

New Tinka Aluminium Trailers available

Tinka’s range of aluminium boat trailers are made of heavy duty aluminium I-beam using stainless steel fasteners, with no welds to crack.

Tinka aluminium boat trailer range comes with adjustable front bunks and heavy duty aluminium rear bunks to suit a wide range of boat hulls. Tinka’s LED lights are fully submersible for hassle free lighting. Stylish alloy mag wheels make checking brakes an easy task.

Independent torsion bar suspension with replaceable stub axles and acculube grease system makes trailering more comfortable. Rear guide posts are standard.

Tinka aluminium boat trailer range is available for boats from 4.5-8.8 metres and for a maximum 4.45 tonne GTM. Contact: 07 3277 7322 Web: www.mayfairmarine.com.au

Tinka Trailers 4

Taking the wheel: choosing the right jockey SYDNEY

Christian Bold

Jockey wheels are used on 99% of all boat trailers, the question is though, which is the best one to use? And what do you need to look out for when buying one?

With a tonne of choices, considerations, and options, there’s a lot to ponder when it comes to selecting the right jockey wheel for your trailer.

TAKE YOUR PICK When purchasing a jockey wheel there is often a difference between what you want and what you need.

Always purchase the jockey you need, not the one you want, and buying one that’s a little bigger than you need is a sound investment, both for now and into the feature. Doing so will ensure that the wheel you buy is more than capable of doing the job, and means it will do the job with greater ease and greater longevity.

When selecting a jockey wheel you’ll need to know what size wheel you need, and also the carrying capacity of your trailer so you can match and select the correct jockey wheel for your trailer.

While jockey wheels are available in varying sizes, the three common sizes are as follows: • 6” wheel with a maximum 350kg lifting capacity • 8” wheel with a maximum 500kg lifting capacity • 10” wheel with a maximum 600kg lifting capacity Wheel size and lifting capacity aren’t the only things to consider, the type of wheel is also important, with polypropylene, plastic, solid rubber, and pneumatic rubber, the big four when it comes to wheel construction types.

GRAB THE WHEEL So which jockey wheel and why?

Most single axle trailers with a GTM (Gross Trailer Mass) of 1000kg would only need a 6” jockey wheel. If the trailer has a GTM over 1300kg, or a tow ball weight more than 10% of the total trailer/ load mass then you might want to look at fitting an 8” jockey wheel. This is more for practicality and ease of trailer movement, rather than necessity because of the GTM of the trailer.

If you have a dual axle trailer I would recommend an 8” or 10” jockey wheel.

These larger jockey wheels are a lot sturdier and will allow you to move the trailer with greater ease and without damaging

the jockey wheel. Dual axle trailers are inherently difficult to turn, so the jockey wheel pivots and turns less, and plays less of a role when it comes to turning the trailer.

SHOULD I STAY OR GO? Once you have established the size of

hard boaties who have to have the best on their trailer, let me introduce you to the Fulton F2 jockey wheel. In my opinion the Fulton F2 is the best there is when it comes to jockey wheels.

The outer casing and shaft is made from anodised aluminium, while internal gears raise and lower the

Rusted jockey wheels should be replaced to avoid failure, which can be dangerous. jockey wheel that you need then you need to decide if you want a swivel bracket or a fixed mounted bracket.

The swivel bracket allows you to have the jockey wheel permanently attached to the trailer, meaning you will never leave it behind.

The fixed mounted bracket allows you to remove the jockey wheel from the trailer and place it in the boot of your car. Both work well and it really comes down to what you prefer.

MEGA JOCKEY Now for all those die CHRISTIAN BOLD Christian Bold, also known as ‘The Trailer Guy’, is one of Australia’s leading trailer and caravan repair specialists.

As the Director of Bold Trailers, he is a licensed motor mechanic, auto electrician and automotive body builder.

Christian is also an AUVIS and e-safety examiner for the RMS. You can contact Christian and the team at Bold Trailers for any information regarding trailer and caravan repairs, maintenance, modifications, legal requirements, imported trailers, parts and accessories, and new

jockey wheel shaft. This makes the Fulton F2 jockey wheel fully serviceable.

Compare to a standard spring loaded galvanised jockey wheel that is rendered useless once the spring is broken or the shaft is bent, the Fulton F2 is serviceable and repairable, ensuring a longer working life. The Fulton F2 jockey wheel comes in 2 models, a single, extra wide wheel model, and a double free spinning wheel model.

The wheel is also on a separate bracket allowing

it to spin independently from the shaft. This greatly increases stability and trailer manoeuvrability.

The swivel bracket can be adjusted, allowing the height of your jockey wheel to be modified, enabling you can set the jockey wheel to the perfect height for your tow ball, car and driveway. The Fulton F2 jockey wheel retails for around $360, and despite the higher than average price is a good investment if you’re always replacing jockey wheels.

The Fulton F2 jockey wheel is also my recommended jockey wheel, regardless of trailer size, for boaters with arthritic hands, or those that struggle with traditional old school jockey wheels. The Fulton makes moving large trailers a walk in the park, making it ideal for women, children, and the elderly.

Next time you’re looking for a new jockey wheel remember to buy a quality over economy. A cheap jockey wheel may look attractive at the time of purchase but can cause you problems and will ultimately cost you more in the long run.

Galvanised jockey wheels are more corrosion resistant and will ensure a longer working life.

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Cooking

Cook up crunchy fish and tarted up tartare BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

The following recipe is a deconstructed hot plate friendly version of an oven baked favourite of mine.

The hotplate friendly version in this month’s recipe, has the fish fillets grilled on a cast iron grill plate, then they

are generously spread with a tarted up tartare sauce and topped with a golden crunchy breadcrumb mixture.

In case you are curious, the oven version has you spreading mayo over one side of the fish fillets and then topping them with breadcrumbs. This is then popped into the oven and baked until the fish is cooked.

TARTED UP TARTARE If you are using capers that have been packed in salt, for your sauce, ensure that you rinse them several times before using. Capers stored in brine will only need to be rinsed once before use.

Tarted Up Tartare ingredients 2 cups good quality mayonnaise 1 small brown onion, peeled and very finely chopped 2 green shallots, finely sliced 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and finely chopped 4-6 baby gherkins, finely chopped 1\2 cup finely chopped capsicum, red or green 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 2 tablespoons finely shredded basil 4 tablespoons mustard of your choice Salt and pepper, to taste

2

Heat the canola oil in a heavy based frying pan, add the garlic and breadcrumbs to the hot oil and stirfry until the crumbs are golden brown. Place to one side until ready to use.

5

Generously top the cooked fillets with the tartare sauce.

CRUNCHY FISH Breadcrumb Crust ingredients 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 clove garlic, crushed (optional) 3 cups fresh breadcrumbs

3

1 100

APRIL 2015

Combine the tartare sauce ingredients thoroughly together and refrigerate until you are ready to use. Take the sauce out of the fridge about half an hour before coating the fish fillets.

4

Prep the fish fillets with a little freshly ground salt and pepper.

Cook the fish on a medium heated hotplate on both sides.

6

7

Sprinkle the tartare-coated fish fillets with the golden crumb mixture.

The crunchy fish with tarted up tartare sauce is ready to eat.

Shaking off duddliness things and catch fish.

It’s not easy to be crap at something over a long period of time. Sure, there So Stuffer has decided that are those that can be losers he’s sick of catching nothing once, or maybe even twice, but so he’s going to take a trip consistent smashing of rods, with Paddy. boats, trailers and each other Apparently Paddy heads takes special people. And I off to the dam on a Friday mean special. I drove Skipper’s arvo, rolls the quinnie off the boat into his shed a couple trailer, and has his bag limit of months ago, and didn’t by mid morning Saturday. even know I’d done it until he “Easy”, says Stuffer. “It’s about pointed it out to me. Skipper time I got some reward for loses some gear and breaks my efforts after fishing for so other stuff with monotonous long with the Dudds. I want to regularity, and even does less catch a fish.” important stuff like drive over Those of you who’ve read his wife occasionally too. this column for a while, both Boobies, it’s got to be said, of you, will know that you has a reputation for being one don’t drop off the stench of of the more capable of us, but Duddliness quite that easily. that’s like saying my grandma You might also remember is a better first drop than Watto.

Paddy put some hard yards in a Who isn’t? So in the great year or two ago in an effort to scheme of things Boobies also join the illustrious ranks of the has his share of carnage across Dudds; namely dropping his the boat ramps of life. brand new quinnie tinnie onto In terms of those who the concrete of the Awoonga don’t create havoc, there boat ramp. He hadn’t even are, of course, Doughers and made it onto the water and he Pommers. They pretty much was smashing stuff. He was let the side down. Well, if looking likely there for quite a you’re just going to sit there while as he continued to break and smash cans, how can you things and catch nothing in true expect to smash fishing and Dudds style, but experience boating things. It’s unduddly. caught up with him and as But like I always say, don’t happens with most normal criticise someone until you’ve STA13434Dealer1-2_STA11838NewCamp 18/07/12 people, he began to not bust walked a mile in their shoes.

BRISBANE

The Sheik of the Creek

That way, when you criticise them, you’ll be a mile away.

And you’ll have their shoes.

So exactly why Stuffer thought Father Fate would allow him a saloon passage into piscatorial heaven by just moving on from the Dudds isn’t exactly clear. I guess on the positive side, the only repercussions were a complete lack of fish. There could have been much more serious consequences, especially for Paddy. He could have caused major damage to his boat and fishing gear, not to mention his own personal health and his level of superannuation by having a Dudd on board.

But no, he wasn’t punished financially, just the fish failed to come on the bite. With a Dudd on board, who’d a thunk it?

I’m not sure what the washup to this little escapade will be. Perhaps Paddy has learnt his lesson, and no more a-fishing with a Dudd will he go. But the very fact that he has known Stuffer for more than 12 months, and is still on speaking terms with him, let alone fishing terms, says something about his level of patience, his lack of fear, and of course his overall life intelligence. But then again, maybe he will learn.

Eventually cattle stop licking 10:37 AM fence, Pageyou 1 know. an electric

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APRIL 2015

101

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Unit 11-12, 10 Dooley St, North Rockhampton Phone: (07) 4927 9150 | Fax: (07) 4921 3502 Email: rifen.boats@bigpond.com Website: www.rifenboats.com.au

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Fishing Fill-its

Yanked into croc waters

We’re proud to welcome the new generation of outboards – the mighty FourStroke Verado 350hp.

Along with the power, performance and extreme reliability, Verado includes: - Awesome acceleration, superior torque and better fuel economy - The latest in Electro-Hydraulic steering providing car-like precision and feel - Exclusive ‘Fly-by-Wire’ Digital Throttle and Shift as standard for smooth, quiet, instantaneous shifting and throttle response - Compact engine that’s 56kg lighter than its nearest competitor

I’m a keen fisherman up here in croc country, so I get out on the water in my 5.2m side console aluminium boat as often as I can. Sometimes four times a week, when the weather is good.

Shortly after I got my boat, I removed the built-in seats to make more room inside, but by doing so I had to remove the only flotation it had.

My wife then worried about me going out by myself, knowing how tippy the tinny was and how many sharp teeth are in the water up here,

never really expected to have an incident where I’d owe my life to it! One fine fishing day, a mate and I travelled to the mouth of the river to fish, passing several 4-4.5m crocs – as usual. We got to the spot, and as my mate threw out the front anchor, I threw out the rear anchor. But I was suddenly yanked overboard. My hand had gotten caught in the anchor rope, so with the forward casting motion I’d lost my balance and was pulled out of the boat, quick as that.

Talk about shock!

onto the top of the Collar and hoisted my weight back into the boat in one swift motion.

The boat hardly rocked, and my mate stood there just looking at me, it had all happened so fast. He laughed and said, “Felt like a swim, did yah?”

I never would have thought I’d be so grateful to remove all the flotation in my seats!

Without the Boat Collar I doubt I could’ve pulled myself over the high, slippery sides. And if my adrenalin had helped

just waiting for boats to capsize.

So, when I heard about the Kapten Boat Collar, we were both thrilled it would so easily solve my buoyancy problem. I didn’t really think it was a tippy boat, but the Collar is like giving the boat feet that touch the bottom! It’s the best thing I’ve ever put on my boat – even better than the 1.34m barra I caught last year!

The Collar adds heaps of safety benefits, but I

From sitting pretty, to being underwater holding my breath. My mind screamed at me, “Crocs!

Get out! Get out!” I worked my hand loose of the rope and broke the surface, gasping air.

Not being a young man, I struggled to reach up high for the edge of the boat. As soon as I got a good hold, I felt the tough foam of the Collar along the chine, and instinct (plus a bit of fear) took over. I lifted my knee

me manage it, I probably would’ve capsized both of us! I dread to think how differently that day could have ended.

Take my advice and check out the Collars!

They may never save your life, like they did mine, but there’s no harm in having it there just in case.

See the website now www. k a p t e n b o a t c o l l a r. c o m or phone 07) 5441 3636 and tell them Paul sent you. – Paul Brightfield, Townsville

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APRIL 2015

103

Business Profile

Brisbane Yamaha is Brisbane’s biggest choice It’d been a couple of years since I last dropped in to Brisbane Yamaha. At the time, they were an Aluvan boat dealer – a locally made hull that we tested with a Yamaha outboard.

Since then, Brisbane Yamaha have become a Quintrex dealer. And not just any Quintrex dealer.

They’re the biggest Quintrex (and Yamaha) dealer in the country.

It’s a title that owner, Aaron Goodchild, is remarkably proud of. He’s put a lot of time and money building the dealership up to where it is today and he’s got a pretty simple goal.

“I just wanted to make a place that’s a one-stopshop for people who want to buy a boat in South East Queensland, that’s all,” he said. With the amount of stock on-site, it’s clear to see that he’s putting his money where his mouth is.

Situated on the service road to the Bruce Highway at Burpengary, around half an hour north of Brisbane, it’s hard to miss the shop. There’s a fibreglass Baysport hull with a 200hp Yammy about 25ft off the ground on a big steel pole. That, plus the eye-poppingly bright LED signs say to me that if you’ve missed the place, you either need an eye test

or boating isn’t your thing.

Aaron gave QFM a tour around the yard, which seemed much more extensive than it was only a couple of years ago.

“Although we’re a

Yamaha dealer, we can service any make and model of outboard – we have all of the gear to do that,” Aaron explained, “we’ve got on-site fitters that have the most experience in the

Brisbane Yamaha is located around 30 minutes to the north of Brisbane.

There’s an extensive range of new and used boats on site.

The in-house trim shop means refurbishments are a piece of cake.

so we can do all of the refurbishments on your boat – from a new lounge through to a full detail if you wanted to put your boat up on Gumtree.”

“But I don’t know why you’d want to sell your boat privately,” Aaron continued, “and have all those people coming through your home. I’d be bringing it to us and we’ll pay you cash on the spot.

We’ve got a great range of second-hand boats on site and are always looking for new stock. So you can post an ad and deal with the masses or you can get cash on the spot from us. It’s an easy decision.”

“We’ve got a young, keen sales team and we pride ourselves on getting you the information you need when you want to buy a boat. We sell so many boats through this yard that the guys have to be efficient at what they do, and they are.”

“So you asked me before, Steve, why someone should come and buy a boat from Brisbane Yamaha? I can’t see a reason why you wouldn’t buy a boat from Brisbane Yamaha!”

Want to catch up with Aaron or see the year for yourself? Visit Brisbane Yamaha at 174 Eastern Service Road, Burpengary (Monday through Saturday), call (07) 3888 1727 or visit w w w. b r i s b a n e y a m a h a . com.au – QFM

An on-site detailing team pays great attention to detail.

The yard is a lot more extensive than it was only a couple of years ago.

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APRIL 2015

industry, so if you need a re-power, the chances are that we’ve fitted the motor you want to the hull you’ve

got before.”

“We’ve also got a full time trim shop on site and a full detailing team,

Scan the QR Code for extra material from Aaron Goodchild himself.

What’s New BOATING

4

SAVAGE 575 BLUE WATER

Garmin’s new GPSMAP 7400xsv series of premium multi-function displays (MFD) combines powerful performance with a renowned interface to deliver a range of class-leading features in a fullynetworkable, simple-to-use package.

Boasting a vibrant widescreen display with full pinch-to-zoom touchscreen capabilities, the GPSMAP 7400xsv series is offered in four sizes – 7407xsv (17.9cm/7”), 7408xsv (20.3cm/8”), 7410xsv (25.4cm/10”) and 7412xsv (30.5cm/12”) – to cater for all types of vessels from sportfishers to cruisers to yachts.

For anglers, the GPSMAP 7400xsv series also integrates Garmin’s premier sonar technology – traditional HD-ID™ sonar, true dual 1kW CHIRP sonar, CHIRP DownVü™ and CHIRP SideVü™ – to deliver the clearest scanning sonar on the planet along with unequalled target detail and separation.

Whether fishing a secret spot or cruising the coast, the GPSMAP 7400xsv series has cartography covered with a preloaded worldwide basemap, while a built-in 10Hz GPS antenna allows for faster and more accurate position tracking and updates (10 times per second). – Garmin

Savage, Australia’s oldest aluminium boat brand, has released the new 575 Blue Water – now the largest in the cabin range offering the perfect boat for the family or the keen fishers.

With new 4mm bottomsheets, 3mm smooth side sheets. The 575 Blue Water has a spacious cuddy cabin that can still maximising deck space and wont compromise your fishing room.

The Savage boat features a soft riding new hull design. The 575 Blue Water handles offshore conditions with ease providing a smooth and reliable ride every time.

The 575 Blue Water includes a 95L fuel tank, rod holders and folding rear lounge all as standard.

Keen fishers can option up with a berley bucket, live bait tank in the back deck, bimini and envelope and a rocket launcher to create a mean fishing rig.

The 575 Blue Water is available as a complete boating package including boat, trailer and motor complete with a 3 year limited warranty. - Telwater

2

ULTRAFLEX GOTECH HYDRAULIC STEERING KIT

GARMIN PANOPTIX

Unlike anything you’ve ever seen on the water, Garmin Panoptix provides the ability to see all around your boat in real-time.

Garmin Panoptix allows you to see the entire water column, and everything in it, in 3D! You’ll be able to see real-time moving sonar images, including fish swimming in front of or below your boat… even see them chase your lure in 3D! Panoptix has to be seen to be believd.

Based on technology previously available only in the offshore commercial market, Garmin Panoptix is centred around a multibeam transducer that utilises phasedarray scanning sonar – creating multiple, simultaneous steerable beams in a single ping – to deliver incredible fishing-finding power.

Garmin Panoptix will revolutionise the way we find fish and will make finding fish way more exciting.

Standby for more on Garmin’s Panoptix sonar technology… this is just the beginning!

– Garmin

3

MERCURY’S NEW 135HP 4-STROKE

Mercury Marine has added another category-leading engine to its range, with the release of its new 135hp 4-stroke EFI outboard.

Designed to provide reliability and durability, no matter what is thrown at it, Mercury’s new compact 135hp 4-stroke also delivers boat lovers tremendous performance and outstanding fuel efficiency.

“We’ve developed this model specifically from the feedback given to us by Australian and New Zealand consumers and dealers,” said Nicholas Webb, Director of Engines and Marketing, Mercury Marine ANZP. “They love our latest generation high cubic capacity, low weight 4-strokes and wanted the same technology to fit to 135 and 140hp rated boat transoms.”

The compact 135hp 4-stroke EFI has a 3.0L, 4-cylinder in-line configuration, is low weight, has fewer moving parts, and has been designed to be incredibly reliable and durable – ready, willing and able to handle work in any conditions. – Mercury Marine

2

5

While several companies manufacture a low HP Hydraulic steering system, they do it at low cost resulting in poor performance and poor reliability.

The Gotech system is designed to be durable with extended long-term reliability, achieving this by sharing the load throughout the system thus increasing the longevity.

Once installed, you can expect zero feedback, a feature normally found in much higher rated systems - 150HP and higher.

It is also designed to solve a problem in small to medium centre console boats up to 115hp, where a mechanical steering system is just not feasible, due to the amount of bends required to install a mechanical steering system.

A Hydraulic System is perfect for this application, and the Gotech is at the pinnacle in the up to 115hp range.

It uses a lot of features only found in a much higher rated HP hydraulic system.

– Sam Allen Wholesale

6

4

3

4

1

GARMIN 7400XSV MORE POWERFUL

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

POWERED BY

5

STACER’S NEW 539 EASY RIDER

Featuring a new sleek, moulded dash and a larger bow and cockpit area than ever before the 539 Easy Rider is one stylish and comfortable ride.

The 539 Easy Rider built with the EVO Advance Hull offers a smooth ride, cutting through swell with ease.

With a ski locker, rear ladder and 95L underfloor fuel tank included as standard the 539 Easy Rider is perfect for water sports action.

If you also enjoy a bit of fishing then the 539 Easy Rider has you covered with a sounder, rod holders and an optional convertible front casting platform.

Complete with a bimini and envelope for cover from the sun and a sound system included as standard the 539 Easy Rider will be a favourite with the whole family.

The 539 Easy Rider is available as a Stacer Ready 2 Go package complete with boat, motor, trailer and 3 year limited warranty for peace of mind. – Telwater

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

6

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

SCAN THE

CODE! APRILQR 2015 105

Avoid a fine and replace your rego numbers AYR

Steve Farmer

Having officers of the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol inspect your vessel is always a little unnerving. Even if you run a shipshape boat, you always wonder what you might have forgotten or overlooked as they check through lifejackets and other safety gear.

So, with the latest inspection over, I once again breathed the usual

To complete the job you’ll need methylated spirits, a soft rag, a little fine sandpaper and a plastic scraper. Yep, that’s all.

The scraper can be made from a strip of stiff plastic with a chisel point filed on one end. Metal scrapers are readily available but may scratch the paintwork, fibreglass or aluminium.

Of course you’ll also need new numbers, which are available at your marine dealer. They come in packs of two (one for each side of the boat) and cost only

Strip them all off at once and you’ll find it much harder to ensure the end result is neat, well-spaced and aligned.

If the number you’re removing is already tatty it’s likely you’ll be able to grab a corner and peel it straight off with steady pressure. If not, your trusty plastic scraper (or a fingernail) will allow you to lift an edge and get things started. If you have trouble removing the numbers, try applying a little heat with a heat gun.

Slowly peel off one of the old numbers. sigh of relief – and then the officer casually mentioned that a few of my rego numbers were getting a bit tatty, which could cost me a fine.

Well you know how these things sneak up on you. After washing the rig down after yet another fishing trip you notice the numbers are flaking at the edges or cracking where they’re stretched around the clinker creases. As you push the boat into the shed, you make a mental note to replace them before hitting the water again, but those mental notes are forgotten almost as quickly as a bad fishing trip. Drag your ship out for the next outing and the numbers are still tattered – in fact, probably more so.

Fortunately the officer didn’t give me a fine, but her casual remark certainly ensured the numbers were replaced within the week. And once it’s done you wonder why you procrastinated so long.

Removing the old numbers and replacing them with new vinyl stick-on numbers is a simple and fairly quick job, which will ensure you don’t get a fine and it’ll spruce up the look of your boat.

Here’s how I did it. I don’t claim it is the right or only method, but it worked for me so use it as a guide.

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APRIL 2015

By the way, I think it’s worthwhile replacing all the numbers while you’re

with care. Rub too hard or apply excess metho for too long and you risk taking

Top: Clean off old adhesive with a soft cloth and methylated spirits. Above: When applying the numbers begin at the top, peeling off the backing as you go. Apply only just enough tension to ensure a smooth application. the gloss off the paint of a painted hull – and I don’t know how it would effect gelcoat. Try to restrict any rubbing to the area covered by the number.

I replaced the numbers on both my larger, painted

tinnie and my smaller unpainted tinnie and after cleaning the adhesive residue from the unpainted rig I noticed a little surface corrosion under a few of the numbers. To ensure a smooth finish and to reduce any future corrosion problems in these spots I used the fine sandpaper to carefully clean the corrosion off. Take care to lightly sand only the effected areas under the numbers so you don’t mark the surrounding hull.

With the corrosion sanded off, clean the area again with the cloth dampened with methylated spirits.

With the hull clean and dry you can now fit the new number. As mentioned earlier, you can use the adjacent numbers to locate the new number, or there may be a ‘shadow’ of the old number highlighted by un-faded paint or shiny aluminium. This is the perfect guide for applying your new number.

I started at the top of each number, peeling back a little of the backing. Don’t peel back all or even a large proportion of the backing or the number will end up out of shape and sticking everywhere except the right place.

With the top edge of the number stuck in place, slowly peel back the backing and apply the number to the hull. Apply the numbers with only enough tension to avoid creasing – definitely do not stretch the numbers as this may result in them being stretched out of

On clinker hulls make sure the numbers are pressed well into nooks and crannies. Peel the backing off the numbers as you apply them. a dollar or two per pack.

Planing hulls must be fitted with numbers 200mm high on each side of the vessel.

The colour of the numbers should have a sharp contrast with that of the hull.

Now, start at one end and peel a number off, but only one. By replacing just one number at a time it’s easy to position the new one in relation to the numbers either side of it.

It may also be necessary to use the scraper at the same time. I didn’t have to do this so I don’t know how effective it is. Keep the gun moving and avoid applying too much heat in case you cook the number or burn the paintwork. Remember to check that there are no flammable materials or liquids nearby. This is definitely a last resort which requires much care.

on the job and not just those that obviously need it. The intact numbers are probably just as old as the tatty ones and not that far off going to pieces themselves.

With the vinyl number removed there’s a fair chance you’ll have a residue of adhesive and possibly a few bits of vinyl left on the hull. I used the soft rag dampened with methylated spirits to clean this off –

With the number in place press it firmly all over to ensure it is fully adhered to the hull.

shape and eventually cracking or breaking sooner than they should. This is especially important when sticking the numbers to an irregular surface. Many pressed aluminium and some fibreglass boats have clinker sides and other strengthening creases and it’s essential to slowly follow the shape of the hull with minimal tension, ensuring the numbers get into these nooks and crannies. It is in these creases that the numbers are most likely to first crack and begin to peel.

At the same time you must take care to maintain the correct shape of the numbers as you apply them, ensuring they don’t end up distorted at the bottom.

Two down, four to go. Note how most numbers crack and let go in the folds of the clinker hull.

You should also watch for any bubbles under the vinyl and try to smooth

You may be left with a ‘shadow’ of shiny aluminium or un-faded paint where the old number sat. Use it as a guide when applying the new number.

them out with your fingers as you go. Try to avoid having to lift the number off once it has been applied.

With the number in place, press it down firmly all over to ensure it is properly adhered to the hull.

With the first number done, move onto the next.

You’ll quickly gain skill and confidence and should easily knock over the job in a few hours on a Saturday afternoon.

It may sound fiddly (and it can be) but with a slow methodical approach you’ll achieve a professional-looking job which will keep both you and the Boating and Fisheries officers happy.

Spots of surface corrosion were sanded smooth.

It’s worth replacing all the numbers. Some might look okay but they are just as old as the other numbers and are probably ready to peel off.

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6 MODELS IN THE RANGE OF BOWRIDERS AND CABINS

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www.waterskierswarehouse.com.au

www.whitewatermarine.com.au

82 Dayman Street HERVEY BAY Ph: 07- 4128 9944

APRIL 2015

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Ground breaking 350 and 400hp Verados FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

You know that it’s going to be a pretty special product when Mercury Australia fly you to the Miami Boat Show in the USA to cover the launch of an outboard motor. And although Mercury did its best to keep the launch a secret, my Aussie mates were telling me that it was going to be a 400hp Verado added to the stable.

test boats at the show that we understood just what purpose this engine was built for.

Like most of you, before I jumped on the big red and white plane, my exposure to Miami was limited to re-runs of Miami Vice and the Don Johnson’s pastel suits. In reality, Miami is like the Gold Coast on steroids – there are ridiculous numbers of waterfront properties, easy access to excellent fishing in water from a foot deep to thousands of feet and a real

boat porn at its finest.

And Americans were buying. If you were to stand at the show and watch the deals being done, you’d have no reason whatsoever to believe that the USA is coming out of a recession.

There were hundreds of boats and motors being sold.

Talking to the boat manufacturers, there was little chance of getting an order built until the end of the year if you put your deposit down in February.

Price ranges for these big craft ranged from a

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The.350.and.the.400R.Verados.are.built.on.the.same.platform...

The.400R.generates.its.maximum.horsepower.at.7,000rpm.

Now.here.is.a.serious.fishing.boat..1400hp.anyone?

They were nearly right.

At an embargoed media launch the night before and at the public reveal on the first day of the Miami Boat Show, Mercury’s President, John Pfeifer, proudly revealed a 350 and 400hp outboard, achieved through a number of advancements to the existing 2.6L Verado platform.

Boasting some pretty impressive technology inside and, importantly, mounting with a narrow footprint, it wasn’t until we were set loose amongst the

demand for big boats.

Currently, the trend is towards centre consoles with multi-rig outboards. And I’m not just talking a couple of 50s on the back of a 16ft.

Centre consoles, complete with under deck cabins in the 30-50ft class were littered around the show. Powered by twin, triple, quad and even five high-output outboards.

Backing up this observation was the boat storage yard we’d drive past on the way to the show each day. Literally hundreds of big centre consoles. It was

SPECIFICATIONS Horsepower:..........................................350.and.400 Weight:.....................................................from.303kg Capacity:............................................................ 2.6L Aspiration:...................Supercharged.(water.cooled) Configuration:................In-line.6cyl,.4-valve,.DOHC Alternator:....................................... 70a.(belt.driven) Controls:........................................SmartCraft.digital Steering:................ Electro-hydraulic.power.steering Gearcase:........................................................ 1.75:1 CARB Star Rating:.................................................. 2 Colours:............ Phantom.Black,.Cold.Fusion.White,.. .....................................................Warm.Fusion.White couple of hundred grand for the smaller cousins to well over a million bucks for the

Yep..It.sure.does.look.like.a.near.100-mph.boat..And.it.rode. smoothly.across.wakes.that.would.frighten.you.in.a.20.footer.

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pride of the fleet. Serious boats for serious coin.

Mercury admitted that they didn’t have a class leading solution for these big multi-rigs. There was the 300 Verado, but

Yamaha’s V8 350 and niche manufacturer Seven’s 557hp were heavy and broad.

Enter the 350 and 400R four-stroke Verados.

Mercury identified the opportunity several years ago and quietly worked away on re-engineering the upright straight-six platform to create a four-stroke outboard that outputs more horsepower per kilogram than anything else on the market.

Made in the USA with around 70% of the engine built in-house, the 350 is 62kg lighter than its competitor in the marketplace – Yamaha’s naturally aspirated V8 350hp 4-S (303kg v 365kg).

Also, its 26” wide footprint on the transom means that you can fit them more easily to the transom.

But it’s not until you actually get on the test boats

and take a ride that you can appreciate the quietness and the smoothness of these motors.

SUPERCHARGED There’s one main reason that this 2.6L block can punch out nearly three times the horsepower than the larger bore 150hp Mercury new four-stroke, and that’s the supercharger.

All Verados are

supercharged – from the 4-cylinder, 1.7L 150 Verado through to the 400, but the 2.6L 350 and 400 have a redesigned cold air intake and, importantly, a watercooled supercharging unit. More air and colder air makes for more horsepower. Incorporating the supercharger into the engine’s water-cooling pathway increases durability

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Top: It.might.look.weird,.but.while.using.the.

Joystick.Piloting,.the.motors.work.either.with.or. against.each.other.–.depending.on.the.direction. you.want.your.boat.to.go..Including.sideways.

Bottom: Docking.a.boat.with.Mercury’s.Joystick.

Piloting.is.child’s.play..Forward,.back,.spin.–.whatever. you.do.with.the.joystick.will.be.mirrored.by.the.boat.

and efficiency.

The new Verados also cool their internal oil with a counter-current heat exchanger – all designed to maximise durability.

ADVANCED MID SECTION Mercury are pretty proud of their AMS or Advanced Mid Section on all of the 6 cylinder Verados. AMS has been designed to virtually eliminate any vibration from the motor that can get transferred through to the hull of the boat. Steering away from traditional, soft motor mounts, AMS is much more easily experienced than explained. And while sitting in the back lounge of a 1600hp powered quad rig (4 x 400R Verados), you’d expect to feel every bang and shudder, but you don’t.

These Verados are relatively quiet and ridiculously smooth, especially considering that there’s more horsepower on the back of one boat than there is in a small tournament Down Under.

MINIMAL SERVICE COSTS Mercury is very proud of their ‘long bolt’ powerhead configuration which was designed to necessitate no valve train service for the life of the engine. After around 500 hours, this becomes an expensive service on most 4-stroke outboards.

During the factory tour in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin after the show, all of the Aussie media were intrigued with the level of detail and precision that the company put in to designing durable and maintenance free products.

From a consumer point of view, it boils down to fewer issues over the life of the outboard.

“Our product quality is world class,” said Nicholas Webb, Director or Engine Product and Marketing for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Region, “and that’s better for Mercury and better for the end user. It’s a win-win.”

SMART ELECTRONICS With the load of electronics that boats powered by these Verados run – including multiple sounders, radar, bait tanks and lighting, Mercury has built in an Idle Charge System to sense electric load and adaptively alter the engine idle to ensure that there’s always the power necessary to maintain safe operation.

Gone are the days when your crank battery is going backward when your outboard is going forwards.

And Verados have always been digital (or fly-by-wire) in the 2.6L configuration, but they now boast the ability to use their full potential with some great add-ons.

Joystick Piloting with an outboard is incredibly clever. Using a combination of minimum twin engines, throttle and gear changes – all controlled through a joystick at the helm – you are able to drive your boat forward, backwards, sideways (literally) and to spin it on its axis.

This makes the act of docking (which can be daunting for some boat owners) without bow thrusters a piece of cake.

Within minutes, even an inexperienced boatie can be in total control of the attitude of the boat at slow speeds.

This tech is yet to really take off in Australia, but as multiple engine rigs increase, you can bet that their owners will fall in love with the ease of manipulation with this one, simple control.

Skyhook is like a spotlock on your electric motor, only it’s enabled through the GPS and outboards. Push the button and your craft locks onto its GPS position – great for fishing or while waiting to dock.

THE 400R Producing 153hp per litre of displacement, the Verado 400R is the most powerful outboard ever produced by Mercury.

Top Left:.Robin.‘Dr.Mercury’.Senger.shows.the.advantages.of.the.Verado.‘long.bolt’.design..Namely.a. life-long.no.valve.train.service. Top Right:.In.a.stark.contrast.to.Miami.where.we.ran.the.boats,.Fond.du.

Lac.in.Wisconsin.is.where.they’re.made..That’s.snow..Middle Left: Once.the.powerhead.is.completed,. it.takes.the.production.line.less.than.a.hour.to.put.a.Verado.together..And.the.production.quality.has. never.been.better..Bottom Left: Here’s.an.example.of.the.difference.between.the.current.200-300hp.

Verados.and.the.new.models..The.supercharger.on.the.right.is.water.cooled..Bottom Right: Every. single.Verado.gets.water.tested.here,.checked.for.leaks.and.only.passed.if.it’s.running.perfectly.

Being the first Verado to have the proven SportMaster gearbox as an option from its normal 5.44, the SportMaster gearbox comes with low water pickups, stainless steel guide plates and the AMS designed to offer superior handling at speed.

And trust me – you will get speed.

Seriously.–.there’s.no.racing.going.on.here,.officer.

Joy riding a Nau-Tek powered by four x 400Rs at the Miami Show Marina, we reached speeds in the high 80s. That’s miles per hour. Max speed on the trip log was mid nineties. White knuckle stuff.

THE BOTTOM LINE If you can’t tell by now, we’re excited about the way outboard technology

is headed. Increasingly, systems are integrating more seamlessly, durability and ease of use is increasing and service costs are decreasing.

These new Verados are, of course, ridiculously powerful and are price competitive compared with their competition in the marketplace.

If only petrol prices stay low, big outboard loving Aussie boaties have a bright future ahead.

Aussie Verados in the 350 and 400hp models arrive at the end of April.

• Declaration: The author travelled to the Miami Boat Show and Mercury factory as a guest of Mercury Marine.

This.Ranger.bay.boat.was.a.real.rocket.ship.with.the.350.

Verado,.and.the.AMS.contributed.to.its.smoothness.

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Mercury propeller factory were cheaper and others top dollar, especially while I was running them across sandbanks and shallow water.

After a tour of the Mercury propeller factory in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA, though, I was amazed at the process these guys go

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

When you choose a propeller for your outboard, there’s several factors that come into play:

There’s a QR code hereby with a video that explains the whole process, but it’s a whole lot more than pouring hot metal into a mould.

It all starts with an injection mould and some wax. Seriously. A rigid wax duplicate is moulded out of

Here’s what your Merc propeller looks like when it enters the factory. is it the right pitch and diameter? Will it fit the gearbox of my boat? How much does it cost? Are the blades the right shape for my hull?

I didn’t think too much about why some propellers

through to make the best propeller possible for their outboards. And the process explains why your Mercury prop costs a grand while a competitor’s die cast blade may set you back only half that.

a special formula wax and repetitively coated with a fused silica based slurry until it forms its own mould that can stand the ultra high temperatures of the molten stainless steel. This typically takes 5-7 coats of the silica.

When dry, the wax is melted out of the shell in a pressurised autoclave (with steam) and the moulds are ready for pouring.

This is the cool bit. The moulds are heated up in an oven to the same temperature of the molten metal – around 2,000 Farenheit (1,100°C).

A guy dressed in what looks like a bomb suit picks up the mould out of the oven and sets it down on a trolley for pouring. He has the world’s best gloves. His co-worker then pours the molten alloy into the mould and the newborn propeller slowly cools. The whole set-up glows bright orange.

Mercury uses a couple of different grades of stainless alloy for their different propellers. The racing and bass boat propellers run a

These props are about to be sandblasted. higher grade of metal.

Several hours later, when the propeller is cool enough, the mould is chipped

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Fond du Lac Wisconsin

USA

Fond du Lac is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The name is French for bottom of the lake, named as such because of its location at the bottom (south end) of Lake Winnebago.

The most impressive part of the process is where the pre-heated moulds are filled with the molten alloys. One guy’s job is to pull the heated moulds out of the furnace by hand. They’re some serious gloves!

Left: Bit by bit, the sand moulds are chipped away from the finished propeller. Right: Polished and ready to be hubbed and packed. Here’s a dozen of the thousands of propellers a year to come out of the building.

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away and the workers get into the process of cutting, sandblasting, polishing and tuning these props to perfection.

Every single propeller is balanced – by hand – to ensure that it transfers the power from your outboard to the water as efficiently as possible.

“It’s about acceleration, it’s about speed, it’s about giving the customer that fuel economy – all done up here at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin!” concluded Robin Senger, Mercury’s Product Training Manager.

Mercury claim that they make the best propellers on the market and it sure looks like they take every step necessary to make sure that each and every propeller that leaves Wisconsin and is shipped to the four corners of the globe is worthy of the Mercury name.

• The author travelled to Fond du Lac as a guest of Mercury Marine.

What’s New FISHING

POWERED BY

FISHING PRODUCT GUIDE

SOUNDER REVIEW: Lowrance HDS7 Gen3 Lowrance have just released a brand new model to the HDS line up that is sure to turn some heads in the marine electronics game. I’ve been lucky enough to have a good play around with this new sounder and so far it has been exceptional.

If you aren’t up to speed with fish finders or sounders, basically the past few years have seen an incredible jump in technology.

Anglers have some amazing tools at their disposal now and fish finders are really making it easier. The implementation of Touch Screens, Side Scan and CHIRP are just some features that have revolutionised the way we now fish.

The HDS Gen3 is the latest instalment in the Lowrance HDS range. Sporting a similar look to the HDS Gen 2 Touch, this new model incorporates some handy

cable so adding the Gen 3 to my boat was a breeze. What has changed is that there are now more buttons on the unit that allow full control, implemented for those who like to have the option of both touch screen control and buttons as well. The HDS 7 Gen 3 now also comes with dual Micro SD Card slots, which is great if you are like me and want to record your own maps with Insight Genesis.

One of the first things I noticed when using this sounder was that the screen was noticeably clearer and brighter. The biggest advantage of this is that the sounder screen is still easily readable even with the sun glare on it. Navigating through the sounder it was also obvious that it was a lot faster and the new menu layout makes it very easy to find your way around the unit.

Handy if you would like to run multiple units on the boat without spending extra for another one. All you need to do is

The new screen provides crystal clear images. Very helpful with picking up small details on Structure Scan.

The physical dimensions are almost identical to the previous model.

A nice personal touch, you can now add your own custom backgrounds to the main menu screen. new features, software and hardware upgrades. It comes in 3 variances, 7, 9 and 12” screens, basically they all work the same with the main difference being the screen size.

The physical dimensions are almost identical to the previous model. This is handy if you do own a HDS Gen 2 Touch as it can make for an easy swap over! Both also use the same power and transducer

A nice personal touch, you can now add your own custom backgrounds to the main menu screen.

The majority of the changes are the upgrades to the software and hardware.

I had a lot of fun playing around with the new HDS Gen 3’s built in Wi-Fi. This serves a few purposes, one being that you can connect your iPhone, Smart phone or tablet to the sounder to view your screen.

The new screen provides crystal clear images, which is very helpful with picking up small details on Structure Scan.

I have been playing around with the Wi-Fi connectivity through my phone and an older iPad I had laying around at home.

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

download the app to your phone and connect the two via Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi also lets you connect to the internet via your mobile phone hotspot or your internet connection at home to download HDS Updates and Maps direct to your unit. This saves the need for having to transfer these updates and maps to an SD card and then transfer the map or update manually.

I have been playing around with the WiFi connectivity through my phone and an older iPad I have laying around at home.

Another new addition to the Gen3 is the inclusion of CHIRP sonar. Chirp has been around for a little while now and without going into too much detail it gives a really crisp clear sonar image, reduces clutter on the screen and reads better in deeper water. Of course we still have Structure Scan, which is my most used part of the sounder. The clarity on the screen is amazing.

A cool new feature that has been added is the ‘Multi-Touch’ screen. What this means is that you are now able to zoom in and out with the use of 2 fingers. Much like how you would on a Touch Screen Phone or iPad or Tablet.

The new HDS Gen 3 models are now available to purchase from your local Lowrance dealer. There are literally too many features to write about so I highly recommend you check them out, well worth a look if you are in the market for a new sounder. In the past few months I have had this unit I have put it through its paces, from fishing deep water in Moreton Bay looking for reef fish and pelagics, to fishing a Bream Tournament in the Tweed River in shallow water. It hasn’t skipped a beat and is a powerful fish finding machine! I strongly recommend you have a play around with one of these, you won’t be disappointed! - Nabeel Issa

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

Sea Jay’s mighty 6.8 Pursuit GS BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Big plate alloy craft always impress me. It’s not just the overall interior size leading to plenty of comfort, the ample work room for those aboard, the sea keeping ability, the plethora of features mated to performance and stability.

But when you take the time to sit down and think of all the work involved in putting together a fabulous boat like Sea Jay’s 6.8 Pursuit from mere sheets of aluminium…well, that’s what I call impressive!

The Sea jay 6.8 Pursuit GS (glass screen) is a lot of boat in every respect. For anglers wanting a rig to take them far and wide offshore in search of game fish or quality bottom fishing it must represent a sound investment in a world of fishing pleasure.

The 6.8 Pursuit is one of several craft in the ‘ d e d i c a t e d - t o - o ff s h o r e fishing’ Pursuit range, which are designed to maximise fishing and travel enjoyment as well as offering every feature any

serious angler might need.

Having been around for a couple of years, Sea Jay’s 6.8 Pursuit has undergone some progressive changes and the current model has several innovative features, including the one mentioned in the craft’s designation – a glass windscreen in lieu of a perspex one.

IMPRESSIVE LAYOUT Stepping aboard the 6.8 Pursuit I was immediately taken by the high standard of finish all round. Given that Sea Jay have been building alloy craft for a quarter of a century this is, of course, not surprising.

The neatly smoothed and rounded bowsprit was large,

The 6.8 Pursuit’s helm area has ample headroom, whether seated or standing, with plenty of shade provided from the strong roof overhead. The glass screen and sliding side windows offered full visibility in all directions.

I liked the concept of the sliding side windows; not

The Pursuit’s well-designed hull displaces water well to the side at entry point.

Helm and forward features are prominent in this image, including the large windows with their unrestricted forward and side visibility. Seating options include incorporating big ice boxes, which is a smart set up for an offshore orientated craft.

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the anchor well also large.

Access forward to ground tackle (note that provision for a winch is standard as most buyers would opt for one) is through the rear opening and quite wide cabin hatch.

There’s also a walkaround area beside the tall cabin, and while there are good hand-holds topsides I’d opt for the cabin hatch access in all but the calmest weather.

Within the cabin itself bunks were deeply padded, room enough to stretch out for a snooze or seek shelter.

Featuring quality upholstery and exceptional detailing the 6.8 Pursuit once again confirms Sea Jay’s attention to detail and build quality.

Ample storage area was located under the bunks, with provision for a marine toilet also on hand.

all navigation takes place in ideal conditions and with a craft of this size it’s vital to have easy side visibility around marinas, ramps, and the like and the sliding windows certainly assisted in this regard. Also, when teamed with the Sea Jay’s overhead roof vents there would be ample ventilation during those steamy summer days.

Both pleasure and marine radios, the latter a Fusion stereo, were tucked up under the forward section of the cabin’s roof which was on lined as well.

Forward seating for skipper and first mate was exceptional with the seats being wide and featuring strong arm rests. Both reach adjustable swivel seats were mounted on strong frames

with 110L Eva Kool ice boxes below. The ice boxes having padding as well.

Both skipper and mate had storage compartments and shelves beside their seats, as well as footrests for added comfort.

The Pursuit’s helm and dash layout is as simple as it is effective. Upper most on the vast dash area was a Furuno TZ 14 Touch sounder plotter, below it the Yamaha multi-function screen with its link to the 225 4-stroke astern, QL trim tab controls were to starboard, twin banks of switches lower and to starboard of the sports style wheel, the ignition key to port, and forward controls within easy reach to the side. All controls and functions were easily monitored.

The Pursuit’s bait station takes up little room yet offers a lot of handy features for the angler, including a big live well.

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To find your local stockist visit www.diamonddeck.com.au Trade enquiries welcome 0437 864 077 Enquiries@diamonddeck.com.au 112

APRIL 2015

PLENTY OF WORK AREA AFT With so much thought gone into the forward layout of the big Sea Jay Pursuit I was not surprised to seethat the metre deep cockpit work area was just as well set up.

All floor areas were carpeted ensuring that anglers could be sure of their footing while moving about. Toeholds under the full cockpit length side pockets were handy assets for busy anglers, as was the freshwater wash down hose in the starboard pocket.

Two rod holders per side were standard within the gunwales, complementing the eight set up at the rear of the cabin roof. A large bait station sits midway across the transom and features a big recirculating live well, a

Access forward is easy enough thanks to a well set up walkaround area, but most owners will no doubt tick the winch option when placing an order.

cutting board, knife holders, plus another pair of rod holders. Triple batteries were located within the base of the bait station, off floor naturally.

With such a large and well set up work area I would see four, perhaps five anglers working there in harmony with everything at their disposal.

Aft of the transom twin boarding platforms were checker plated for ease of entry with a folding ladder set to port.

PERFORMANCE, RIDE, HANDLING Recommended power for the 6.8 Pursuit ranges

just would not lean, which will make fishing or family boating even more enjoyable.

SPECIFICATIONS Hull length:.................................................... 6.85m Beam:............................................................. 2.48m Length on trailer:............................................... 9m Height on trailer:............................................. 3.4m Hull construction:.. 5mm plate bottom, 4mm sides Hull weight:...................................................1290kg Hull deadrise:................................ 19.5º at transom Fuel:................................................................. 360L Freshwater:....................................................... 75L Engines:..................................................225-250hp Engine fitted:..................... 225 Yamaha V6 4-stroke Persons:................................................................. 7 Towing:........................... large 4x4 wagon or similar

Poetry in motion – the 6.8 Pursuit underway. from 225-250hp, which saw the V6 225 Yamaha 4-stroke towards top ratings in the power stakes. The 225 seemed to be doing things pretty easy, even with five aboard and 360L of fuel under the floor, and I gave it full marks for both smoothness and easy, seamless, power. The vessel planed at 10 knots (19.5km/h), at 2400rpm with the big Yamaha whisper quiet. At 3000rpm I saw 12 knots (22.6km/h) recorded on the Furuno unit, 4000rpm saw 25 knots (46.6km/h), 5000rpm a speed of 32 knots (59.6km/h), 5,500rpm (full throttle) a speed of 38 knots

(70.79km/h). Impressive performance, certainly, but the sheer power of the engine was what impressed me most. Instant response was the norm, which is so important in an offshore craft, that could well be crossing river bars or other less favourable areas on a regular basis.

The ride was exceptionally good. With a bare hull weight of 1290kg, the big Pursuit was a solid plate craft and the ride showed it would take a lot to upset its clean and smooth running capability even in an offshore situation.

Running hard in the

FISHABILITY Given the on board features and impressive layout it’s obvious that a

Burnett River I purposely drove the rig over wash from trawlers and a couple of big Rivieras and the Pursuit didn’t flinch. Sea Jay have put a lot of work into their hull design with its 19.5º vee aft.Handling was clean and very manageable for such a solid plate alloy rig. You cannot throw the rig around like a 4m centre console but for a big solid craft it was very easy to drive, as hydraulic steering and a feeling of easy balance made skippering the rig a pleasure.

As expected stability was quite exceptional thanks to the hull’s considerable overall mass and the rig

The Pursuit’ s forward dash and side storage areas are well thought out.

rig of this magnitude is going to be an exceptional fishing craft. Even the briefest of looks aboard her indicate that Sea Jay have gone to some trouble to ensure that everything is in its correct place.

There’s no doubt the 6.8 Pursuit is primarily an offshore rig; with 350L litres of fuel under floor you could go a long way!

Yet the craft was also very suited to bay or even weekend cruising should a family group wish to enjoy its ample features.

The finish throughout is exemplary, workmanship top shelf, pride of ownership assured without doubt. As reviewed, and with a Redco tandem trailer the rig would come home for around $102,000 depending upon what extras were chosen from the extensive list. Sea Jay can be contacted on (07) 41522111 or on the net at info@seajayboats.com.au for the location of a dealer.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

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APRIL 2015

113

Black Dog Cat 5.5 SS Cuddy Cabin FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

There is a huge stable of quality fishing boats being exported across the ditch from New Zealand these days and the Black Dog Cat range of boats is no exception. They are a pontoon style configuration that offers stability, safety and toughness, all features we love here in Australia.

I had the pleasure of testing the Black Dog Cat 5.5 SS Cuddy Cabin on the

Heyne from Snowy River Marine was keen to head out of the mouth of the river to really show what this boat is capable of.

Thankfully the cold front that had hit Marlo just prior to me getting there had disappeared and we were met with a brisk morning (for this soft Queenslander at least) and a Snowy River bar that could be crossed safely and we could get out into the Pacific and give the 5.5 SS a good run.

The tested 5.5 SS Cuddy Cabin was fitted with a new Tohatsu BFT 150hp 4-stroke

of work has been done by Tohatsu to provide fantastic performance and efficiency.

It is fitted with BLAST system technology. This system, put simply, improves acceleration at low speed, significantly assisting ‘hole shot’ (under 3 seconds in the 5.5 SS Cuddy Cabin) and when you need that burst of speed during a bar crossing

of ECOmo. This has the motor using 30% less fuel at cruising speed than any other motor in its class. On the day we were on the water for approximately 2.5 hours running the motor from a slow idle to 5000rpm we used just over 20L of fuel. A great testament considering the running around we were doing.

The walkthrough windscreen gives you great access to the boat if you are picking people up from the shore. a boat is space and storage.

The Black Dog Cat 5.5 SS’s simple layout ensures there is ample room to store everything you may need and it is easy to access.

Shelving runs from below both gunwales to right up under the bulkhead and there is space below the transom that is big enough to hold a 90L cooler or

RIDE AND STABILITY The ultimate test for a boat of this size is to cross a shallow estuary bar and to be comfortable that it will do the task safely. I have gone through the Snowy River bar on a couple of occasions when you aimed for the channel, maintained your speed and you were out. However on this day

SPECIFICATIONS Length of hull....................................................5.5m Hull.....................................................................4mm Pontoons...........................................................4mm Beam................................................................2.45m Capacity....................................................6 persons Fuel Capacity....................................................120L Max HP................................................................200 Rec HP.................................................................150 Tow Weight dry.............................................. 1250kg

Above: The new Tohatsu 150 4-stroke was a great match for the 5.5 SS Cuddy Cabin. Right Top: There is plenty of space for bait preparation and storage. Right Middle: The layout of the boat is all about fishing space and storage. Right Bottom: The hydraulic jacking plate is a great addition to the boat if you are looking at running in shallow water or across shallow water bars.

Snowy River at beautiful Marlo in East Gippsland. It was hard not to get excited about doing this test, as Les

motor. This was my first look at one of these motors on the water and it was impressive.

Weighing in at 217kg, a lot

or other hazardous situations.

The economy of the motor has also been improved through the use

STORAGE AND FEATURES As an angler, one of the things I always look for in

other items. There is also plenty of storage under the cabin at the bow of the boat for safety equipment and anything you may want to keep dry. With an internal beam of 2m there is plenty of room for you, the family and all of your gear or just you and your mates.

The targa top has rod holders built in, to keep fishing rods out of the way when not in use. Other features include a live bait tank, bait prep station and a boarding ladder to assist you getting on and off the boat.

Turn fishing into catching.

View sample pages and purchase online at:

www.howtouseafishfinder.com 114

APRIL 2015

this wasn’t quite the case, we spent a bit of time watching and planning the best line to take and then Les very skillfully drove us across the bar. It was a real eye opener to me to see how little water was under the boat at times.

An advantage of the twin hull Cat design, the Black Dog Cat can run a single engine between the 2 tunnels, which has the motor higher than a conventional mono hull. It is approximately 6-9” higher than normal, enhancing the hulls ability to successfully plane in quite shallow water,

At rest the Black Dog Cat is extremely stable. making it ideal for shallow bars or sandy coastal bays.

Les has also fitted a hydraulic jacking plate to this boat.

This further enhances your ability to raise the motor while on the plane to provide

even further clearance in shallow water.

Once out of the bar we were met by a reasonable swell and the Black Dog Cat came into its own. The twin hull configuration creates

an air cushion between the hulls and due to that it has a remarkably soft ride for an alloy boat, the best I have been in for this size boat.

At wide-open throttle we managed a lively 70km/h,

chambers that provide a massive 2200L of buoyancy, hence why it is so popular with divers and anglers in New Zealand. Les has put this to the test by leaving the bungs out of the boat to see how much water it would take on. Even after reversing up and trying to flood the deck, it only took 300-400m of running forward for the large scuppers on the deck to remove all the water. In Les’s words, “No boat is unsinkable, but this boat may be as close as it gets”.

WHAT YOU GET IS WHAT YOU SEE At first look, the Black Dog Cat is a little out of the ordinary, but when you step a little closer and look at what you get, it is not hard to understand their popularity in the NZ market.

The boat features a 4mm thick hull and pontoons, full self-draining checker plate non-slip deck, rear boarding ladder, 120L fuel

The drive-on trailer made for light work retrieving the boat.

The Marlo bar was a great test on the day and the Black Dog Cat handled it with ease. grip patch either side of the bow also means you can pick up and drop off people through the front of the boat from the shore without fear of slipping or getting the motor stuck.

OVERALL After spending nearly 4 hours with Les running

the other boats in the Black Dog Cat range and he can be contacted on (03) 5154 8268 or 0448 504 366.

You can also email him at snowyrivermarine@gmail. com. Versatile, stable, safe and tough, the Black Dog Cat 5.5 SS Cuddy cabin is a real stunner. The model

The Black Dog Cat can be easily launched and retrieved by one person. tank and a custom drive-on trailer. The seating is simple, comfortable and well placed.

The console, although small, is large enough to house all the gauges you will need plus a quality sounder.

Another great feature is the step through windscreen. It allows you to launch and retrieve the boat on your own as well as giving easy access to the anchor. A well placed

around outside the Snowy River bar, as well as exploring the upper reaches of the Brodribb and Snowy River systems, I think the Black Dog Cat 5.5 SS Cuddy Cabin is a very versatile option for any angler looking to hit the estuaries or the blue water.

Les from Snowy River Marine is a fountain of information about this and

as tested is $65,000 and is definitely worth a look.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

QUALITY BOAT COVERS FOR OVER

The soft ride will put a smile on you face.

OTHER MODELS AVAILABLE 4.0 LS............................................................... Dingy 4.0 XL.................High sided dingy with side pockets 4.5 SS............................................. Cuddy Runabout 4.5 XL....................................... Centre/Side Console 5.0 SS............................................. Cuddy Runabout 5.5 SS............................................. Sports Runabout 8.0 HT.......................................Hardtop/Wheelhouse New 6.5m range is coming soon

which in the conditions ensured you knew were alive.

Turning felt a little strange to begin with, the lean created by the hulls is quite different from a standard hull. It was more a strange sensation rather than an unsafe one.

At rest this is an extremely stable boat. It has 7 separate floatation

• Canopies & Side Curtains • Full Boat Campers • Front Clears • Storm Covers • Bimini Tops • Motor Covers • All Over Covers • Insurance Work • Repairs and recovers • Upholstery Work 7 Rowland Street SLACKS CREEK Brisbane 4127 PH 07

30 YEARS

We pride ourselves on the quality of our workmanship

info@boatcovers.com.au

3208 9511 FAX 07 3208 9305 www.boatcovers.com.au APRIL 2015

115

This section in QLD Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

SUNSHINE COAST

MACKAY / WHITSUNDAYS

Promote your Sunny Coast boat hire business here! For as little as $15 per month.

Phone (07) 3387 0800 Email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

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Boat Licencing GOLD COAST

Bait & Tackle CLA SSE AVAIL S OVEABLE WEE R KEN DS

AA Prawnin Pete’s Cast Nets Custom-made top pocket prawning nets 0412 122 256 zzsperoj@ihug.com.au

Marine Trailers Oceanic Boat Trailers (07) 5597 0577 Seatrail Trailers www.seatrailqld.com.au

GOLD COAST

Tinnie Tosser (07) 5498 7339

BEST LURE RANGE THE Fishing GOLDON COAST

Bundall Marine Centre

No.1 Ashmore Rd, Bundall

Sea-Link Special Trailers (07) 3881 3568

0422 198 651

Marine Mechanics GOLD COAST

TOP BRANDS • TOP SERVICE • GREAT PRICES

INSIDE SPORTY’S WAREHOUSE

www.bundallmarinecentre.com.au

5504 7446

SALES • REPAIRS • INSTALLATIONS

• Sounders • GPS • Electric Motors • Marine Radios and accessories • Stereos • Televisions • Radar Units • Autopilots

WELCOME

Straithaid Rd 07 5526 2786 32BUNDALL 4217 QLD

• Sales • Service • Spare Parts • Warranty and Insurance work * REPOWER SPECIALISTS *

Tackle Warehouse Brisbane (07) 3398 6500 BCF www.bcf.com.au Victoria Point Bait and Tackle (07) 3820 9581 Spinnaker Sound Chandlery Ningi (07) 5497 6007 FTO Tackle Outlet Brisbane 0416 017 094

MARINE ELECTRONICS ONSITE AND MOBILE INSTALLATIONS

MAIL ORDERS

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Marine Electronics

Unit 4/1440 New Cleveland Road Capalaba www.trymax.com.au PHONE: 07 3245 3633

www.runawaybaymarineservice.com.au

2/247 Bayveiw St Runaway Bay GEOFF NEWMAN PH 55774411

Boat Hire – House GOLD COAST

QLD HONDA DEALER OF THE YEAR 2011/2012

Bundall Marine Centre – Servicing all makes and models. MOBILE SERVICE AVAILABLE (07) 5504 7446

Great family and fishing boats!

Whitewater Marine (07) 5532 4402

+ 50km of sheltered waterways on the Gold Coast’s Broadwater + No Licence required + Boats from $895 + 2-12 berth

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727

Boat Modifications and Repairs

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Northside Marine (07) 3265 8029 Coastal Powerboats (07) 5568 0904 Coorparoo Marine (07) 3397 4141 Capalaba Boat Centre 04011 728 379

+ 07 5502 6200 + houseboat.net.au

Holt Marine (07) 3353 1928 Cunninghams Marine (07) 3284 8805 Caloundra Marine (07) 5491 1944 Bribie Boat Sales (07) 3408 0055

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Lake Monduran House Boat www.lakemonduranhouseboathire.com.au

NORTH BRISBANE Reef Marine Mackay (07) 4957 3521

Boat Hire – Trailer

Boat Mechanics – Mobile

GOLD COAST

Walk on/off, or tow away Fish finder/gps, marine radio, all safety gear Half day, full day, and overnight rates True locals with great advice www.goldcoastboathire.com.au 20 Georgia St, Coombabah 0432 710 892 Boab Boat Hire - 1300 002 622

BRISBANE

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SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Rod and Reel Repair

Marine Outboard Wreckers

D&H REEL REPAIRS

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND

ce Reel Performan

e parts needs repairs and spar For all your reel

07 5529 2292

Servicin Phone/Fax: 07 3372 2740 or major b g all call Duncan on 0439 717 839 rands Email: dhreelrepairs@bigpond.com Drag upgrades available • Rod repairs • Mail orders welcome

20 Wrights Place Labrador Qld 4215 website www.brumbsmarine.com.au email brumbsmarine@bigpond.com Aluminium fabrication • Steel fabrication • Boat repairs Boat modifications • Aluminium sales

www.reelrepairs.com.au North Queensland 110 Sherbrooke Rd, Willawong Qld 4110 JT Reel Repairs, Mackay 0427 552 485 or (07) 4955 2485

CUSTOM MARINE WELDING & ELECTRICAL

Marine and Auto Electricial n All types of Welding n Stainless Steel n Aluminium n Mild Steel n Boats Repaired n Fuel & Water Tanks n Canopies n Bow and Stern Rails n Custom Vehicle Tool Boxes

Southeast Custom Rod Building and Repairs 0438 055 877

n

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

SAMPLE AD - BUSINESS NAME This is where your copy will appear.

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North Queensland Outboard Wreckers Townsville 1800 812 748

Shed 1 281 Jacobs Well Road Behind GEM Service Station, Alberton 4207

Advertise here - $90 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Phone 3807 7846

Mob 0427 142 201 Fax 3807 2468

www.custommarinewelding.com.au Online Tackle Products

Bluewater Windscreens Brisbane (07) 3382 7883 ASM Mobile Welding Brisbane 0409 624 402

She Left Camera Sunglasses www.hdvcs.com.au

Marine Windows and Doors Brisbane (07) 3284 5088

U-Make-Em Sort Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au

Small Craft Electrics (mobile) 0408 063 064 Boat Collar (07) 5441 3636

Marine Transport

CMC Marine Sales 0409 910 808

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Boat Painting

Holiday Accommodation

BRISBANE

• • • • • • • • •

Spray painting Re-sprays Fairing Paint protection Touch ups Repairs New or old Anti-fouling Fiberglass repairs

BOAT TRANSPORT AUSTRALIA WIDE FROM A TINNY TO 50 FEET WEEKLY SERVICE BRISBANE TO CAIRNS

Professional paint jobs made to last.

all!

No job too big or too sm

0433 356 620

DJ Freight Marine Transport 0418 793 357 0427 341 076 contact@djfreight.com.au

Shed 3 Redland City Marina 100 Beveridge Road Thornlands 4146 Qld

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Hemingways at Tin Can Bay (07) 3219 9376 Bribie Island Real Estate (07) 3408 1006

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Marine Trimmers

WWW.BRISBANEBOATPAINTING.COM.AU

BRISBANE

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• • • • • • • • •

Spray painting Re-sprays Fairing Paint protection Touch ups Repairs New or old Anti-fouling Fiberglass repairs

Canopies Bimini tops Cockpit covers Front and side clears Full boat covers Upholstery Pontoon carpet ... and more!

OVER 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE

FRASER ISLAND

Fraser Island Fishing Units INDIAN HEAD

Martin Costello 0434 615 936 www.mobilemarinecanopies.com

Professional paint jobs made to last.

all!

No job too big or too sm

0433 356 620 ads@fishingmonthly.com. au

Shed 3 Redland City Marina 100 Beveridge Road Thornlands 4146 Qld

WWW.BRISBANEBOATPAINTING.COM.AU

For bookings or enquiries contact: Cliff Andreassen 07 5449 9346 or 0428 712 283

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND Rowland Street Boat Trimmers Springwood (07) 3208 9511

A FISHO’S DREAM

Brisbane Yamaha (07) 3888 1727

bearfish@bigpond.com

Rays Canvas & Marine Caboolture (07) 5499 4911 Affordable Boat Covers Gold Coast 0419 424 587

Waddy Lodge on Fraser 0414 516 364

WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Y

Eclipse FNQ Weipa Charters 0488 058 668

RU4 Reel Tweed Heads 0449 903 366 Discovery Fishing Charters G old Coast 0427 026 519

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Looking to

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

My Charter Boat Tweed Heads 0407 347 446

Holiday Accommodation ctd.

Fish The Deep Charters 0416 224 412

ay? stay at Stanage B

JC’s Fishing Charters 0438 753 382

Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0411 605 090

Fairdinkum Fishing Charters Townsville (07) 4751 5324

Hooker 1 Charters Gold Coast (07) 5528 6469

Call Von 07 4937 3145

Action Charters Mackay 0417 452 346 Fishing Charters Townsville 0403 386 722 BURDEKIN

Paradise Fishing Charters 0403 531 428

Fully setup fishing accommodation

Fish’s Fly & Sportsfishing Weipa (07) 4069 9957

Cairns Reef Charter Services 1800 119 044

Sea Probe Fishing Charters 0400 312 330

Cairns Charter Boat 0427 533 081

Coastal Sports Fishing Charters Gold Coast 0412 691 929

Cairns Fishing Charters 0427 400 027

Gone Fishing Charters Gold Coast (07) 5529 7833

Fishing Guides

Stanage Bay Marine and Accommodation w w w.stan a g eb ay. co m

Advertise here - $195 + GST for 6 months Email: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

COOKTOWN River of Gold Motel Plenty of room for boats and trailers PH: 4069 5222

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BRISBANE

HINCHINBROOK

Frenzy Charters Brisbane (07) 3209 4576

Cardwell Beachfront Motel - www.cardwellbeachmotel.net (07) 4066 8776 or info.cbmotel@bigpond.com

Tom Cat Charters (07) 3820 8794 Moreton Island Fishing Charters 0413 128 056 Brisbane Fishing Charters 0427 026 510

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Bucket List Fishing Charters 0428 368 316

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John Gooding Outlaw Charters 0418 738 750

SUNSHINE COAST Keely Rose Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0407 146 151 Odyssey Charters Deep Sea Fishing (07) 5478 1109 Smithy’s Fishing Charters Sunshine Coast 0407 574 868

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Top Catch Charters Sunshine Coast 0429 013 012 Fish n Crab Charters Mooloolaba 0412 155 814

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

Offshore Reef and Game Fishing 0413 485 402

Suncoast Barra Fishing Park www.suncoastbarrafishing.com

Sunshine Coast Fishing Charters (07) 5500 0671

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Fishing Offshore Noosa 0418 889 956

Lake Monduran Barra Charters 0407 434 446

Noosa Fishing Charters (07) 5665 8170

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

Hervey Bay Fishing Charters (07) 4125 3958

ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Hooked On Hinchinbrook www.hookedonhinchinbrook.com

Incredible Charters 1300 655 818

HERVEY BAY

Fish Taxidermy

FRESHWATER

Fully Guided Lure & Fly Fishing

Yallakool Caravan Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746 Lake Boondooma Caravan Park (07) 4168 9694

•

Fish Taxiderist www.fishtaxidery.net.au or 0428 544 841

BORN AND BRED LOCAL GUIDE

• 5.5m Custom sportsfishing Vessel • 4.4m Estuary Sportsfishing Vessel • Quality Fishing Gear Supplied

Lake Cressbrook Regional Council 131 872 Yallakool Park and Kiosk on Bjelke-Petersen Dam (07) 4168 4746

Fishing on TV

Charter Boats NORTHERN NSW Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters 0428 828 835 Reel Time Fishing Charters 0428 231 962 www.herveybaysportfishing.com.au

GOLD COAST

KAYAK FISHING TOURS Southern Bay • Gold Coast

Andrew Chorley

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND Ultimate Sportfishing Charters 0450 753 726 MV Capricorn Star 0408 755 201

• Hobie kayak and fishing gear supplied

Mikat Cruises Fishing Charters 0427 125 727

www.kayakfishingtours.com.au

Sport Fish 1770 (07) 4974 9686

0439 714 345

IDEAL GIFT!

Bite Me Fishing Charters Yeppoon 0419 029 397

HALF AND FULL DAY TOURS

Phone for bookings

0407 627 852

Bundaberg Fishing Charters 0429 017 217

Coral Coast Game Fishing 0447 347 437 MV James Cook (1770) (07) 4974 9422 Norval Reef Charters 1800 771 234

True Blue Fishing Gold Coast (07) 5510 9622

Iluka Fishing Charters Gladstone 0414 940 911

BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters 0414 293 034

Kanimbla Charters Gladstone1800 677 202

WANT IN? EMAIL : ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

DVD’S -

Series 2 through 8

$19.95 each GST INC. - with FREE P&H

1800 228 244

Built to perform.

Built to last.

More Power, Performance and Reliability – Insist on Mercury MerCruiser.

See your authorised Mercury MerCruiser Dealer today.

RUNAWAY BAY RUNAWAY BAY MARINE SERVICE

BRISBANE HOLT MARINE

BRISBANE SOUTH SPRINGWOOD MARINE

HERVEY BAY BAY CITY MARINE

2/247 Bayview Street Runaway Bay Phone: (07) 55774411 Fax: (07) 55775158 Email: info@marinesport.com.au

3475 Pacific Hwy Springwood Phone: (07) 3297 8200 | Fax: (07) 3297 8290 Email: michaelb@springwoodmarine.com.au Website: www.springwoodmarine.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH MANLY HARBOUR MARINE 570 Royal Esplanade Manly Phone: (07) 3893 2199 Fax: (07) 3893 2188 Email: info@manlyharbourmarine.com.au Website: www.manlyharbourmarine.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH COORPAROO MARINE 57 Cavendish Rd Coorparoo Phone: (07) 3397 4141 Fax: (07) 3397 6339 Email: info@coorparoomarine.com.au Website: www.coorparoomarine.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH BRISBANE MARINE 306 Duffield Road Clontarf Phone: (07) 3889 3033 Fax: (07) 3889 5390 Email: info@brismarine.com.au Website: www.brismarine.com.au

25 Queens Rd Everton Park Phone: (07) 3353 1928 | Fax: (07) 3353 4548 Email: info@holtmarine.com.au Website: www.holtmarine.com.au

82 Dayman Street Urangan Hervey Bay Phone: (07) 4128 9944 Fax: (07) 4125 2350 Email: sales@baycitymarine.com.au Website: www.baycitymarine.com.au

AIRLIE BEACH / WHITSUNDAY WHITSUNDAY OUTBOARD CENTRE 1 William Murray Dr Cannonvale Phone: (07) 4946 7286 Fax: (07) 4946 7848 Email: woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

UNREAL

SAVINGS

$1000

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HURRY OFFER ENDS 29 MAY 2015

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